


Comfort Me - Am I Home?

by ImaKaraTabiHe



Series: Where Home Lies [4]
Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Justice League - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dimension Travel, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, dimension hopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-05-14 01:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 55,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5724196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaKaraTabiHe/pseuds/ImaKaraTabiHe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally's spent his life running.  He's run after bad guys, from people he's pranked, to save civilians and his friends.  He ran to save the world and now he's run to find his way home.</p><p>Wally disappeared to save the world.  But he didn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Weary Traveler

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PhantasmaDormi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantasmaDormi/gifts), [jayswing96](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jayswing96/gifts).



Fucking HELL! His legs have given out and he's hyperaware of the destruction that lay in his midst. It echoes out from his landing and he can feel the blood – his blooding dripping onto the ground. His breath is coming in short, painful gasps. He can't decide whether he's afraid or in more pain than before. He knows everything is supposed to look mostly the same, but it just looks like it did before and he's in too much pain to process anything.

He expects them to come at him any moment. Any moment now, his old friends will come leaping from the shadows and rip him to shreds. Maybe – maybe sparing him pain if they managed to sever his pain receptor in his nervous system. God, he wants to beg for death. He knows he probably will beg for death if he hasn't succeeded.

He sits there, vigilant, tense. His body is protesting the stillness as it remains crouched, ready to attack whoever comes at him. Normally he would run, but with his body in near ruins, he knows that he'll either have to fight and win or fight and die. He vaguely replays the facts in his mind. 

The Young Justice Team went rogue and tried to kill him. The Justice League, who he had hoped would save him, also tried to kill him. He doesn't understand. No, he does. He does, but he doesn't want to. It started with a mental attack that shattered the resistance of his former teammates. Oddly, he was the only one unaffected. While the others had gone rogue, the Justice League had gotten hit with a rebound. Everyone did. Suddenly the most evil, dangerous being in the world had been fourteen year old Wally West. In that moment, he had become the former Kid Flash.

“Team goes rogue, blame it on ol' Wally,” he mutters bitterly to himself. “Everything's Wally's fault. Screwed up the Team, screwed up the League...” He wants to yell and scream and cry. People he had trusted, people he had worked with, loved all of a sudden wanted him dead. Suddenly there was no threat worse than former loved ones. They had practically torn the planet apart looking for him, killing anyone and everyone who stood in their way. That was when Wally knew that he would have to get the fuck outta dodge.

Escaping would've been tough. Dying was easier. He just had to make them believe they forced him into the Speedforce. That was easy enough. With his Uncle Barry, the Flash, at their side he would be forced to run faster than he ever had. The problem would be how to pretend to enter the Speedforce and yet slip between that and enter another world. He admitted it was the dumbest plan, thing, thought he'd ever had. Regardless it was death here or death in the making. He'd run.

He felt it before he saw the source, a shift in the Speedforce. Its source rapidly approaching him and he realized it wasn't one person but two, although one seemed to have a smaller ripple of speed. He gritted his teeth and focused on the direction it was coming from. Closing his eyes for a moment, he prayed for his own sake. He had been through too much to go through more pain. When he reopened his eyes, before him stood the Flash and Kid Flash. Even from behind their costumes, he could feel their unease over the situation.

“We're here, how long until you arrive?” The Flash talked into his communicator. “Yeah – no the source looks to be a kid. – Huh? A threat? I dunno he seems pretty beat up as is. – What? Well, I could just ask him, you know. – You know what, you'll just have to find out when you get here.” With that last message, the Flash ended the conversation with whomever he had been talking with. Due to the presence of Kid Flash, he believed he was either talking to the Justice League, or if it existed here, Young Justice. Mentally, he ran his eyes over the speedster pair, looking for signs of their identities. He looked for the familiar movements, tale tell phrases, listened carefully to the vocals. The Flash, he was more mature than he was, older and more put together. The way he moved, it was obvious it was Barry Allen.

Uncle Barry… Mentally, he scoffed. He didn't even know if the Barry Allen of this world had a nephew. Hoping to alleviate his confusion, he focused on Kid Flash and, noting the darkness of the hair and the over exaggeration of frustration and impatience. It was familiar but the quietness of Kid Flash was the kicker. Bart Allen. “Fuck,” he murmured out loud.  
– “Hey! You! Kid” The voice brought him back to reality and halted his thoughts. It was Barry. “Ah?” He questioned confused. He could feel the raised eyebrow of Barry even from behind the cowl. “So… You okay?” The question made him laugh out loud. Did he look okay? “What, does the blood not make me look even more awesome,” he quipped effortlessly. Kid Flash jerked at his reaction and quip. What? Was Kid Flash not a person for jokes in this world? Pity.

“Uh..sure whatever you say. But I don't think normal people dress up in blood for fashion. Let me help you up.” He said, moving to approach him in the center of the chaotic destruction. That very idea made his blood run cold, his wounds aching more than they had before, even the healed wounds he had acquired from the killer JL seemed to hurt as much as the time he'd gotten them. Fear pulsing in his body, he could only growl at him. “How about you keep your fucking distance and don't you fucking put your hands on me,” he growled at Barry. Perhaps he was scarier than he thought covered in blood because Barry backed up and put his hands up in a show of surrender.

“You got it. You got it.” Barry spoke, his voice in gentle soothing tones. Kid Flash moved a bit and his attention jerked towards Bart. “You too,” he hissed, impatiently. Barry didn't even try to be subtle as he shifted his hand protectively in front of Bart. “Ssh.. We're good. No moving, no touching.” He said trying to seem harmless. “No harm, no foul, right?” He got a grunt of disbelief from the bloodied visitor. “We'll just stay right here until our friends arrive.” His eyes narrowed at the implication. Fuck. Someone else was coming. Justice League or Young Justice, it was going to be a lot of somebodies. All he wanted to do was just run and find a dark corner, out of sight to hide in. The soft reactions of Barry and Bart were intriguing. Perhaps this was a dimension where no one wanted to kill him.

He had been analyzing the dynamics and possibilities of Barry Allen as the Flash and Bart Allen as Kid Flash. It wasn't too different from his world, but the question was whether or not he had existed here or if he had died? God, what if he was a villain? Noted, he would make a totally hot villain, but he was not ready to end up on someone's kill list again. Sounds of more people arriving jerked him out of his thoughts. Well.. Fuck. 'FML moment,' he thought to himself, grumbling in distaste of this situation.

It was Young Justice. He assumed the Justice League wouldn't be far behind then. A cross-dimensional visitor was above the pay grade of the covert ops team, Young Justice. “So..” he had decided to make it clear, “guess the Justice League won't be far behind then?” He noted the surprised features of those faces he could see in Young Justice and the awkward shifting of those he couldn't. “And, how would you know that,” Robin demanded, truly Batman's protégé. “Gee, let me analyze the situation,” he said with false bravado from having to have a Young Justice team who hadn't gone rogue but clearly reminiscent of those that did. “First, there's you. Covert Ops teams don't tend to handle cross-dimensional visitors.” His statement had the team tensed to attack at the first sign of trouble. “Second, there's me. The source of your abnormal energy readings and a possible problem.” He had gestured vaguely to himself, being tense and untrusting. “Finally, the possibility that I could be scouting or unintentionally leading an army or some bs.”

“So.. you come in peace?” M'gann asked cautiously. He wanted to burst out laughing, hearing such a thing come from those that reminded him of pain. It was an odd thing to hear connected to people who had tried to kill him. While he didn't burst out laughing, he snorted. “Does anyone ever know if they come in peace?” He questioned, realizing how vague he sounded. 'Okay, do not give them reason to fuck you over, man,' he chided himself. He wanted to know what happened to this dimension's version of it. It did resemble his home. The people were the same, at least the one's in front of him.

“Why don't we help look at your injuries,” Robin asked, his voice latent with hidden agendas like any good bat. He whipped his head at Robin and retorted sarcastically, “How about no? How about you tell me if Kid Flash is dead or not?” The heroes looked… confused. “Dude, standing right here,” Bart snarked. He couldn't contain his laughter. Truly it was ridiculous. “Fine, you're alive. But what I want to know is, is Wallace Rudolph West dead?” He noticed the sudden tension in the air. The angry desire to throw angry punches. Obviously, further inquiry might get him killed.

“The fuck do you want,” was the response he got. Well, that answered a lot of questions. “Dead then. Peachy,” his voice answered dully. His response had further enraged the young heroes. Barry was doing good to keep his calm, outwardly at least. He was notedly more tense and readied to attack. “Who are you? What do you want?” He demanded in a cold voice. It was that cold voice that sent a fearful shudder throughout his body. “If I don't tell you, are you going to kill me?” He questioned, voice thick with what he hoped sounded like real confidence in himself.

He kept his focus on the senior hero, noticing how he blinked his eyes in shock. If anything, the heroes looked taken aback. Hm. So they didn't mean him harm. At least not fatal harm. He wasn't too sure they wouldn't throw in a few mean punches. “No, we don't kill,” Barry answered, confident and curious. Huh, he means it. “Well, that puts you on the nice list then.” A little tension eased off his shoulders. “As for what I want...” He started slowly. His mind sped through his thoughts. He wanted to be fucking safe. He didn't care where or what he was doing, he just wanted to be safe. Deep inside he knew that he wanted his family and his friends. He eyed the heroes in front of him, their very presence invoking nostalgia.

“Let's just say… I want nothing to do with you.” He finally stated. “I don't mind talking to Red Arrow or Arsenal though. They never did anything to me.” The last bit slipped out before he could stop it and he slammed his mouth shut. Shit. Gave away some important info there. He could just imagine Robin's wheels turning. Robin was not the kind of person who let little facts slip. “But.. we did.” Robin stated more than questioned but somehow he made it sound like both. He snorted. “Typical bat.. Let's just say that I've been places and I don't trust you as much as you trust the old Bat.” His comment had everyone narrowing their eyes.

“So.. you don't trust us?” Speaking of the Bat, Batman fell into position beside the rest of the heroes. That fucker was always appearing out of thin air. Creeper. If he had been less mature, as fragile as before, he might have flinched at Batman's implications and his current Bat glare. Always felt like it was looking into your soul. Instead he shrugged. “Last farm I visited was not in Kansas,” he merely replied. So, he was goading them a little bit. He wanted to see just how far their 'no killing' rule went. Plus it wouldn't hurt to gather more information about this new world. New, though it might be, he felt oddly at home.

'Pft, just wishful thinking, man.' He stopped himself before his fantasies went wild. Out of all the dimensions, there was no way this could be his home. “I take it you know Superman?” Batman questioned. He rolled his eyes, feeling defensive, even as strength gathered back into his limbs. He was healing slowly, but little by little. “Who doesn't know Superman? Although there was this one place where he didn't go by Superman.. He went by Wonderman.. Freaky name.” He rambled off subject. Batman didn't seem to want him to go on as he interrupted. “No, you know him.” His eyes narrowed pointedly at him.

“Perhaps.” He stretched his arms to keep them from getting too stiff. He mentally calculated where he could run to and how long it would take him. He didn't want anyone following him. He would have to be ready to keep Kid Flash and the Flash off his back. “You know me.” That… confident statement blew his planning out of the water. Could he admit he knew that Bruce Wayne was Batman to his face and still get away scott free? It wouldn't be easy. Best to deny it. “You're Batman.” His voice was smooth and free of any emotion. 'Hah, take that Bats.'

“No. You know me.” Batman was being so insistent. Did he know who he was? Could he have given himself away. Was it the healing? How could he see that from all the way over there? He couldn't, was the conclusion. Yet somehow it seemed like he knew. “No comprende, mi amigo.” He snarked, unwilling to shed his nameless identity. Batman smiled a little. 'That is fucking scary,' he shivered a little at the sight. Was Batman really smiling? This is like the weirdest dimension ever if he smiles regularly. 'I think just one smile from the Bat at the Joker and the Joker might dive off a sky scraper in fear,' he mused to himself.

The feel of someone approaching. His consciousness whipped back to the situation at hand to find Batman slowly walking towards him. His muscles tensed in fear and desperation. He could feel his nails digging into his skin in his fist, clenched in case he needed to fight his way out. Maybe it was the Bat sense but Batman stopped short of getting up in his face. He kept himself out of getting into personal space. What? 'Can he tell that I'm afraid he'll try to kill me,' he mused to himself, trying to remain strong inside. His voice was soft, a whisper that only he and Superboy could possibly hear. “You know me, don't you, Wally?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update as of 04/26: Dedicating this work to PhantasmaDormi and jayswing96 in gratitude for all their comments and support of this work.


	2. Who You Can Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman knows his name, but is that all? Will he be free to do what it is he came to do or will he be taken in by the Justice League?

Well that answered that. Somehow he knew his name. Mentally, he scolded himself, 'Shoulda remembered how freaky it is that Batman knows almost everything.' But that was it. Batman may have figured out his name, but he didn't know much more than that. Using his superspeed a little, he noticed the shocked, disbelief evident on Superboy's face. 'Huh, must've gotten better at emotions.'

Wally returned his attention back to Batman. “Lookie here, Bats, my ID is private and I am not about to tell you squat. Besides, there's no proof I'm your 'Wally.' Whoever it is you've lost, this is his dimension and he's probably dead or gone into the Speedforce.” Wally was proud of himself as he managed to keep his voice level and confident. “Now, I would appreciate it if you kept your paws to yourself,” he added with a pointed stare at Superboy. “Both of you.” He returned to glare at Batman.

Batman had narrowed his eyes at the Speedster, not in a glare type 'I can kick your ass way' but more of an evaluating type stare. For whatever reason, Batman seemed to be a bit soft on Wally. Less cautious than he should for a cross-dimensional visitor. “Superboy will keep what he heard to himself,” Batman asserted as Justice League members arrived to stand behind him. “Be that as it may, if you are stuck here--” Wally interrupted, which usually wasn't a good idea, but hey, when did Wally do good ideas lately? “Passing by. I can make it to the next dimension without any… assistance.”

Batman nodded, letting Wally have leeway. “Be that as it may, regardless of whether or not you're passing by, you seem to need a bit of medical help.” Wally wanted to laugh at him. He was more aware of the wounds than he had been before. Before he could open his mouth, he felt a twinge in his consciousness. Wally's eyes swiveled around the newcomers and landed on J'ohn, the Martian Manhunter. Memories flashed before his eyes. The first time his friends tried to hurt him. The blood seeping through his clothes. The help that never came.

Defensive and probably quite rudely (Alfred would never let him live this down), he snarled at J'ohn. “Stay the fuck out of my head!” He lashed out mentally and felt a bitter sense of pleasure at how the Martian stumbled back. He wasn't sure of it, but he might have had a smirk on his face. M'gann was furious though. “How dare you--!!!!” She look like she was just about jumped him when Batman swung to face them. “ENOUGH!” Batman yelled at them, his posture slightly defensive of Wally. Batman defending Wally… Not even sure if it was his Wally, but defending him nonetheless. It was a little odd… But it also eased the fear he felt of the Bat. Maybe he could trust him, at least more than the others.

Members of the Justice League were also surprised, shocked even. Batman was defending some no name, risky kid without proof they could trust him. Wally couldn't help but smile at the shock displayed on the members' faces. If only he had a camera… He shook his head. This wasn't his home. They weren't his friends. It wasn't his family. “Batman, I – “ Superman had started to question Batman, maybe even question his sanity, but as usual Batman interrupted. “No, Clark.” The use of his civilian identity out right freaked out those gathered. “He's fine. He is no threat to us or anyone else. The only threat is to himself.” Wally scoffed inside at that. Wally was great at taking care of himself. Okay, maybe the singed clothes and blood that was matted on him here and there were a bit contradictory, but he did okay. Sometimes.

Not too surprisingly the next to speak was Robin. Only Batman's protégé could ask questions without too much fear. “But Batman, we don't even know his name, let alone why he's here. He could be a threat to everyone and you could be affected by something and not even know it.” 'Pft, as if. There's nothing that affects the big bad Bat.' Batman leveled his gaze on his adopted son and protégé. “I know him.” Wally raised an eyebrow, inquisitively at Batman's statement. “As for why he's here…” Well that was odd. Batman seemed to be at a bit of a loss. Truthfully, there was no way he could know what Wally was doing here or why he was traveling. That would normally raise a whole bunch of flags and by now he would find himself in a cell on the Watchtower, getting ready to be interrogated by Batman himself. Yet, that wasn't what was happening. Even Wally admitted this was strange.

“What he's doing here is his own business. Unless he needs help or otherwise, you are not to interfere with his business.” Batman's order was like a shock wave, rippling through the members, who were taking this crazy order with disbelief. Wally wouldn't be surprised if Batman found himself being subtly looked over and hinted at to see the Medbay. It was crazy. So crazy that Wally just wanted to laugh. This Batman was very 'new'. He felt a twinge of sadness as he wondered if his own Batman, wherever he was now, would have done the same to a Wally counterpart. Perhaps. It was never easy to tell what Batman was thinking, less to tell what he would do.

Batman ignored the whispers of confusion and exclamations demanding for an explanation. He turned back towards Wally, his face (that Wally could see) had softened and he got closer to Wally and knelt down to be more level. Wally's instincts were still fearful of Batman, but since his defense of Wally, he was more inclined to allow Batman to enter his personal space. Even Batman's voice was gentle, almost caring (which was totally weirding him out a little). “You wanted Roy or Roy right?” He questioned Wally, merely to make sure he had gotten the message which someone must've sent as he came. Wally nodded, his muscles noticeably less tense and the fear receding a bit. “I'll find him.” Batman assured him as he placed a credit card in Wally's hand along with a communicator. “This is only connected to me. No one else. If it's alright with you, I want to talk to you a little more once you're settled and rested.” Wally eyed Batman, suspicious. He was being more open and trusting than Wally ever thought possible to someone not his family. Wally nodded a little, not trusting himself to answer logically.

When Batman stood up and backed away more, Wally felt more at ease to stretch his aching limbs. If this was all true, Wally could run anywhere in the world and be free of them. But what if it wasn't? What if it was all a trap? Would Batman keep his word? He was always secretive… Wally looked at Batman, unsure whether this whatever it was could be trusted. Wally couldn't tell without looking at Batman's eyes, but those were hidden behind his dark cowl. His body longed to run and his stomach begged for food, but he forced himself to remain a little cautious. Batman must have understood his hesitance to accept this without fear and pulled back his cowl. Wally could hear the gasps of shock behind Batman. He could just see their eyebrows up to their hairlines. Maybe Robin would even faint. Batman – Bruce let his eyes meet Wally's so Wally could see him. Wally looked at him, looked in his eyes and they held no trace of lies or the desire to harm. Slowly, Wally nodded and relaxed enough to show that he would believe Batman.

He turned away from the group, looking one last time back on everyone before he tapped into the Speedforce power and sped away towards Central City. Why he was going back to his old haunt he had no idea. It wasn't even his home. It was, but it wasn't. He remembered so much about his old world. He remembered promising to hang out with James (Trickster) of the Rogues and remembering how they used to call him 'Baby Flash'. It wasn't a name he had liked but despite their differences, he felt like family. It was the reason he decided to find them, to see if they were here. If they were themselves. It wasn't his best plan so far. But he wanted a place he felt safe and he needed to start his investigation some way. If he couldn't trust the League or the Young Justice, he would go to those he could trust. If you can't trust heroes, why not villains?


	3. Wally is Something Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman remembers the first time he realized that Kid Flash was more then just the annoying, blabbermouth Speedster. Kid Flash was also Wally and Wally was something special.

Bruce stands there, extremely still as he watches Wally race out of sight. Minutes pass after Wally can no longer be seen, but he's not ready to turn away. For the first time since last year, he feels like things will be okay. It was true. Wally was special. Wally is special.

Speedsters are inherently special, he knows. But it's because it's Wally. Wally has something special inside. It's gentle and healing. It was a few months after Wally had become Kid Flash. Months after Batman had first met Kid Flash. It was then that something happened that made him realize just how special Wally was. It was then when Batman first saw the boy behind the mask. Wally as he really was.

Barry and Bruce had agreed to hold a special training session. It was special in that, Robin and Kid Flash would be exchanged. Kind of like a cultural exchange experience. Barry had brought up the idea that their protégées needed some experience beyond what they usually faced and working with those outside of their specialty. Bruce had agreed that it would be a good chance for learning (but he kept that from Barry).

Robin and Kid Flash had been excited. That had been a little worrying. Excitement, especially overexcitement, often preluded to things going wrong. That's why when Flash had left with Robin to patrol Central City, things took a terrible turn for the worse for him and Kid Flash.

In truth, Batman had had his misgivings. Gotham was full of dark villains that dare not walk, even in the shadows, of Central City. The air was dark and heavy. The atmosphere was just not productive for the life of a Speedster. But he had been determined in the belief that Kid Flash learn about Gotham and to deal with situations behind his usual meta villains. Even he, however, wasn't expecting the Scarecrow and the Joker to break out of Arkham and trap them. He should have. He was supposed to know.

That was all he had thought when he was commanding Wally to go after the Scarecrow while he hunted after the Joker. Batman hadn't forgotten the fact that Kid Flash wasn't like Robin, but he'd thought that he would be able to take care of the Joker fast enough to go after Scarecrow. He remembered how his ribs ached with pain as he limped back to help Kid Flash. Scarecrow could be fearsome for as a first run-in for an outsider.

Truthfully Batman hadn't wanted to separate from Kid Flash. It was his job to watch over and nuture young superheroes under his care. He wouldn't often have let Robin wander Gotham alone, but he also knew that sometimes it couldn't be helped. In this case, though, he was feeling anxious. Kid Flash was too cheerful, too naive, too unable to do what needs to be done for the sake of justice. He was more prone to falling victim to the darkness of Gotham. Barry wouldn't forgive him if he'd let anything happen to his young nephew.

He stepped beyond a beyond the abandoned buildings at the docks, following the sounds of a scuffle with quick steps. “Kid Flash!” He called out towards the sounds. “Kid!” He began to run as no answer came. He ran into the open doors of a warehouse and found his hands curled into fists. Scarecrow stood off to the side of people dressed in ragged clothes beating a smaller figure dressed in yellow and red. He growled in anger as he recognized Kid Flash as the victim. Batman was even more angry and astounded when he realized that the boy wasn't fighting back. Why wouldn't he fight back? With his speed he could easily force them back.

He heard the dark laughter of Scarecrow, amused at the scene. The moment he saw blood, Batman lunged at Scarecrow, throwing fear gas antidote at the crowd and with the other hand, knocking Scarecrow out. He kept his eyes on Scarecrow, but his attention was more focused on Kid Flash as he wrapped Scarecrow up with zip ties he carried for such times. “Kid, you okay?” He yelled as he fitted the ties around Scarecrow's wrists. “Kid!” He called louder, when he hadn't heard a response.

He turned around to see the very people who had been beating Kid Flash under the influence to now be crowded around him as he lay on the ground. “Kid!” Batman felt a wave of panic rise up as he ran over to Kid Flash. People moved out of his way as anger and fear made him appear almost demonic looking. His eyes caught sight of red first. Red on yellow, which wasn't abnormal for Kid Flash's costume, but this red was more horrific than anything. It was the red color of blood. “Kid Flash!” He reached out and gently rolled the boy over on his back, checking with his hands to see if there were any injuries.

He wanted to growl and threaten them with bodily harm, but as he turned towards them, he noticed they were simply staring in a stunned stillness. If he hadn't had good hearing, if he wasn't trained to pay attention to his surroundings, he might not have heard the soft, whispered words of “I'm sorry… it's okay..” Batman begrudged to admit it but even he was stunned by Kid Flash. He thought perhaps he misheard, but his sharp eyes read the young boy's lips. 'He really is apologizing,' Batman – no, Bruce thought with awe. 'He's even… reassuring them that it's alright…'

Batman knew that Kid Flash was the obnoxious, loud and oblivious type. At least, he had thought what he knew was true. He hated to admit it but looking at Kid Flash in front of the people who had practically torn him apart trying to make sure that they were okay made him see the kid in a new light. Even behind the blood and bruises littering the kid's face, he could see sincere care for those who had been manipulated by Scarecrow. Kid Flash – no, behind the goggles, it was Wally. Wally was putting not only the safety, but also the emotional states of others before his own.

Batman forced this newfound revelation down and quickly called for the Batmobile to arrive just outside the building. Even as he eyed the many injuries and worried about Wally, he knew that he'd have to pick him up to carry him to the vehicle. Picking him up would hurt. “Kid Flash, I have to pick you up now, okay?” Batman's voice sounded softer and kinder even to his ears. “We have to go get you medical help.” He felt more than saw the kid's gaze upon him as he carefully moved his arms under Wally to pick him up.

Wally's body tensed as he picked him up, but they couldn't afford to stop. The police would arrive soon for Scarecrow and they needed to be out of there to stop any further questions. As he started to turn towards the door, he hesitated about leaving Scarecrow there with the homeless people. “We'll tell them.” An older man came forward, his face taunt with determination and a hint of sadness. “Just take care of the Kid okay?” It seemed like a simple request but there was hardness to the man's words. He was worried about Kid Flash. Wally had saved them, they had beaten him, but at the same time Wally had forgiven and befriended them. It was an idea that Batman couldn't understand and almost couldn't accept as he nodded and walked at a hurried pace to the Batmobile.

Batman remembered arriving back at Cave and Alfred quickly taking care of Kid Flash's injuries, where were many. Batman cataloged 3 broken ribs, a broken wrist, several gashes upon his arms and legs, a concussion, and bruises littering his small body. Even he wanted to cringe as he took in the sight of the young boy's condition. He worried more about Wally than he did about having to tell Barry he almost got killed (although in hindsight maybe he should have worried a tad bit more about that talk. Barry had ignored him for a week). He'd had a nagging question in his head that he waited until he knew that Wally was taken care of to ask.

“Wally,” he began in a gentle voice. “Why didn't you run away?” Wally could have easily gotten away with his speed. It would have been the obvious choice. Batman hadn't been prepared for his answer. Wally looked at him, oddly still and silent for Speedster as minutes passed. “I didn't want them to hurt each other.” Wally had said it like it was the simplest thing in the world. Had Wally really not used his speed so that he remained the only target for inflicting injuries? Surely he couldn't be that forgiving. Could he? But he was. He could see it in Wally's eyes and the way that Wally's body held not tense indicators of anger and the desire for revenge.

Batman's heart rarely broke. Nothing affected him much. He'd had years of training to control his alter-ego. Bruce's heart broke more than Batman's. He was the player but also the father to his charges. He even felt like Wally was like family. This was one of the times that Batman's heart broke. Wally, who had been through so much, who saw death, destruction and the many horrible things in the world daily, kept going on. He kept forgiving and struggling through the dark life that heroes lived. It could have been chalked up to the Speedster personality, but this time it was clear that Wally had something special.

The look in Wally's eyes haunted him as his gaze remained locked on the way he had retreated. This Wally looked a bit younger. A bit more pained. His eyes were darker, letting Batman know that he'd seen things and experienced things that were beyond humanly possible. That look was what made his heart break for the third time since he'd discovered Wally's hidden traits. But beyond the scarred look, he'd seen something that set his heart ablaze. It made hope well up inside him.

He know from many interactions with assault victims that they held nothing but contempt for those who had hurt them. From Wally's reactions, he could see that something their other dimensional counterparts had done had hurt him deeply. Even though he hadn't been the one to hurt Wally, he felt a seed of guilt and deep anger at his other self (or selves) for hurting Wally. It was when Wally had allowed him to enter his personal space that his hope had risen to a new high. Wally had let him close. Let him enter his space.

It wasn't just that, it was a look in his eyes when he'd gotten closer and assured him that he would be safe from everyone. Batman wanted to call him back and just hug him tightly. Wally may have been scared of them now, but the look he'd seen in Wally's eyes wasn't contempt. Yes, there was fear, but there was also hope. Wally wanted to be with them. It was that hope that made him want to hug Wally and tell him that everything was going to be okay. Wally's hope meant that he'd forgiven them. He'd forgiven their counterparts for whatever horrible things they'd done to him.

Truthfully, he wanted to take Wally back to the Manor with them and let him stay there until he felt it was safe to tell the others who their guest was. But he'd restrained himself. Wally may have forgiven them, but he was still hurt and scared. It wouldn't do him any good to be crowded by those whose counterparts had hurt them. He needed to find his own answers and to come to them in his own time. Batman could allow that. Still, it had made him feel better when Wally had accepted his help and would allow him to meet when Wally was ready.

He felt the conflicted gazes of his companions behind him and heard the demands for answers. He sighed and felt the beginnings of a headache at the trouble that they would give him over letting their cross-dimensional guest go free without any restraints. He would do it though. Wally deserved it. He would give Wally as much time and space as he needed. He pulls up his cowl, giving one last look towards the direction Wally ran and turned back to the group. No, explaining this wouldn't be easy. But he wouldn't need to explain. He was Batman after all. No one was going to get Wally's identity from him or go after Wally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that chapter is done. Back to Wally and how he's coping in the next chapter.  
> What is he looking to find in Central City? Where will he get his answers?


	4. Arriving in Central City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally arrives in Central City and starts to think about everything he needs to do. First he has to find a place to stay.

Wally walked slowly through the streets of Central City after he'd picked up some clothes from a stash that someone had obviously hidden for a quick change. Maybe Flash or Kid Flash. Heck, maybe even this world's previous Wally had hidden them. He did admit they were oddly fitting. The stash had even included a bottle of water that he'd quickly used to wash the blood away from his face.

He still looked bad, but at least no police were stop over to check and see if he was okay. It wouldn't be easy to explain his situation to them. Although it would be funny to see them act like he was crazy. Even playing the part of a crazy kid would be enjoyable. Maybe he would even tell them that he was abducted by a race of alien marshmallows. Gruuuuu.. And that was his stomach. He needed food. Bad.

'Stupid alien marshmallows,' he chided himself as he walked into a buffet and ordered as much food as he could without looking too suspicious. It was just enough to take the dizzy weakness that had been growing since he arrived in this dimension. He did get some looks after others noticed that food would just disappear after they looked away for a moment. Honestly though, they chalked it up to merely a boy being hungry and he was fine with that. He was hungry. Maybe closer to near starving actually.

After he'd eaten enough at that buffet to get him to the next one and the next one, he was finally feeling up to the task heading over to the Rogue's Bar. At least, he was hoping it was their bar. Things could be different here. They hadn't been in the last dimension, which was fine. They definitely hadn't been his Rogues though. For one thing, Mick was actually Mickie. Wally couldn't help a shudder at the memory of a female Heatwave. That would give him nightmares for a while. 'Better the nightmares about Mickie than the Team and the League from that dimension.' He could only agree with himself.

Honestly, he knew he could just race there and check it out, but he was just fine with walking. He felt like he'd been running way too much lately. It was about time he relaxed, just enough to get himself together. Stressing out about the situation wouldn't help him recover. He could feel his wounds healing faster now that he'd eaten, but they were still there. He'd need to take it easy.

Wally's head tilted back in forth in thought as he dodged people on the sidewalk. Even if they were his Rogues (that was a very big if), he'd need a place to stay until he figured out whether this dimension was his dimension. His eyes caught the sign of an older hotel. If he remember correctly, it was decent in his dimension and not too badly priced. His hand unconsciously fiddled with the credit card the Bat gave him. Even if it was more costly than the hotel he knew, Bats could more than cover a week or so there.

A thought crossed his mind. More a worry than a thought. If he checked in with the credit card he'd been given, there was no way that Batman wouldn't know where he was. He quickly shook that train of thought away. He'd been given his freedom. Even after the last time he'd trusted a Batman went batshit wrong, he somehow felt that this dimension's Batman could be trusted. There was just that look in Bruce's eyes that made him feel like he'd placed absolute trust in Wally. Wally tried not to dwell on what that meant, but maybe…. Maybe this could be his home. Even if it wasn't his dimension.

A bump to his shoulder by a passerby brought him back to reality and he decidedly entered the hotel and got himself a room. Wally knew that he would be given a few little questions for his being young and alone, but he was a good liar by now. He easily led the front desk manager into believing that Wally was staying there with his older cousin. (Which could be true if Roy or Roy came by). God, he really wanted either Roy. He wanted both. He just wanted to throw his arms around them and cry.

The Roys probably wouldn't call him a 'crybaby'. After all he'd been through, maybe they'd even hug him back. Then they'd snark at each other and let Wally eat a ton of pizzas while they watched a movie like the old days. Wally had to bite his lip to keep from crying as he made his way into his hotel room. It was enough for him to live for a while. Typical room. The TV was a bit old, but he wouldn't spend enough time there, unless either Roy was with him. He could sacrifice a night of researching just for that pizza and a movie idea.

He had thrown his trashed clothes right where they belonged. In the trash. That meant he barely had anything. He had the clothes he'd picked up from the stash and his ring in his pocket. It wasn't any ring and no, he wasn't married or engaged. Seriously. He looked like he was 14 or 13 years old. He'd been surprised how young he looked himself when he arrived in the first dimension he'd been thrown into. No one had ever told him that dimensional travel might de-age him physically.

Wally had quickly shrugged off the idea. In one of the dimensions he'd visited, he'd been helped by a good version of Zoom. Nice Zoom had helped Wally to get a new uniform after his had been ruined in the journey. He eyed the ring with an odd sense of pride. The ring was black with a blue lightning bolt on the top. It matched the inside. His new uniform was similar to the Flash's and included a uniform black with blue stripes running down the sides and a blue lightning bolt on the chest. It sadly had a cowl because he couldn't exactly get the goggles to fit inside and they were more likely to break if he got into a fight. The one thing he didn't relent on was the hair. He did not want to have costume hair. He liked the way his hair felt in the wind when he ran. At least there was that.

He hadn't really wanted to give up the red and yellow traditional colors of the Flash, but traveling through dimensions gave him a sense of openness. Plus there were some places where his traditional colors paired with the fact that he was a Speedster might have gotten him killed. Still, he'd sadly let Nice Zoom give him a redecorated uniform with a new color scheme. Uncle Barry would flip if he'd known a nice version of Zoom had helped him with his new uniform. Wally kind of wanted to see his face.

Wally was eager to go and check on the situation with the Rogues. It made him pace anxiously. Should he wait there to see if one of the Roys came by? Surely Batman could track the communicator to tell the Roys where he was if he went out. He did need rest after all. Food was great. Better than great really, but did need rest like any other being. Except Batman. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen the big bad Bat rest. He wasn't sure if Batman was even human in that aspect. He knew, mentally, that he was being ridiculous and that it was obvious Batman was human and needed rest like anyone else, but he was the Batman. Anything could be possible.

He continued to think as he paced, trying not to set the carpet on fire. Finally he just threw his arms up in the air, surrendering. It wasn't likely that Batman would be able to send either Roy for the night. It was getting dark already and that was when they were busiest. Besides, Batman was probably getting suggestions to see J'ohn for mental tampering. Wally couldn't help but snicker at the thought of what Batman was going through for letting him off. So he decided to just go out and buy a few pairs of new clothes, sneakers, a new bag, and some snacks. When he got back, he ordered a few pizzas to be delivered to his room, which he downed fast. After eating it wasn't long until he was yawning in exhaustion.

He'd start researching this dimension tomorrow. He hoped that the Rogues weren't out on a job. He wasn't too keen to get involved in any YJ or League matters. He definitely wasn't ready to deal with the Flash family yet. Deep down, Wally knew that if anyone was in danger he would help them even if he got into trouble with any heroes. It was just the way he was. Innocents came first. 'Research in the morning..' he thought sleepily. 'Library… Rogues...better meet Batman sometime…. Roys…' He fell asleep getting even more tired at the thought of all the work he'd have to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter might be a bit shorter than the others. It's also a bit more slow paced. Wally needs some time to rest too.


	5. Taking a Few Moments to Relax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally wakes up for his first full day and he decides to avoid marshmallows.

Normally Wally would be woken up by the morning light. He'd gotten that bad habit from being around Robin too much. That guy was always running on automatic when it came to school and training. This morning it was the rumble of his stomach woke him. He shot awake hearing it growl. He'd been dreaming about being eaten by alien marshmallows after all. That was just so wrong on way too many levels. For one thing, Wally did the eating. Not the being eaten part. Stupid marshmallows.

He pulled himself out of bed, munching on the snacks he'd bought last night. It wasn't enough but it was just enough to get him moving and out to find breakfast. He'd slept well all things considering. He was quite pleased when his nightmares had only been about marshmallows, no matter how evil they were. At least they weren't more nightmares about being attacked by the Team or the League. He could deal with marshmallows. He just…. Might take a break from eating them for a few.

He stretched as he made his way towards the shower. He was always grateful for the free amenities. He really needed a shower after all. It just hadn't been high on his priorities last night. Wally sighed happily, even as the hot water hit some still healing cuts. At least it felt good on his aching body. Cleanliness felt surprisingly good.

He examined himself in the mirror, seeing the disgusting color of bruises littering his body. Some still in the shape of hand prints. He even had one that looked like a batarang. It would've been cool without the backstory, but it was not a trend he wanted to start or keep. He was lucky to have escaped without breaking any bones. He might've bruised a few ribs, but they were a dull ache in his side now. All things considered, he counted himself lucky. Still, he hoped there was better luck in store for him here.

He threw on some clothes he'd bought last night and grabbed the communicator and credit card Batman had given him. He would need them after all. He also made sure to grab his ring. It was a habit every hero got into. 'Be prepared,' he remembered Batman telling him. 'Anything that can happen, might happen. You don't want to be caught without a plan of escape or attack.' That had been a lesson he'd taken to heart and had served him well during his time as Kid Flash. Weird things always seemed to happen to heroes anyways. It was better to be prepared than caught unaware.

As Wally stepped onto the morning streets of Central City, he realized that it was just starting to become light. He'd debated about fast food or a diner before he remembered that there was a nice diner nearby that always had delicious breakfast food. He hoped the delicious food was a common element with this one. When he arrived, he ordered one of everything, but he decided against having hot chocolate in case it came with marshmallows. Milk and orange juice would be just fine.

Coffee was out because of the last time he'd had it. It had taken his friends 5 hours to control him enough for him to come down from the caffeine high. They had threatened to break his legs and his jaw the next time he had coffee. It might not be his dimension but he felt bound by the threat that had happened a year and a half ago.

So he might have gotten a few looks since he was unaccompanied in the early hours of the morning and he was ordering so much food. Never had he been so grateful for the kindness of those living in Central City as he was now. It hadn't taken much convincing to get them to believe that he was merely starving because he hadn't had time to eat in a while and he was a growing boy after all. For whatever reason, that had instilled the waitresses to croon over him and keep giving him food until he couldn't eat any more. He hated being treated like a cheek to pinch, but for the food and no questions asked bit, he could deal with it.

Wally wasn't sure but they even might have given him a discount when he paid with his credit card. Regardless, he made sure to smile and show them how happy he was. He also made sure to give them a big $30 tip. Batman was good for it after all. He made his way onto the street to make his way through the morning traffic after being made to promise he would stop by there again sometime. It was an easy promise to keep. After all, he always needed food and good food was the best.

As soon as the Central City Public Library was open, he found himself in there. Hacking into government servers to research this dimension, hacking into Cadmus, and he did do some more legal searching like using News sites. Robin would be so proud. Batman… well, he'd either be ticked at the hacking or he'd be proud too. Best not to think too deeply on that subject he'd decided. Things seemed close to what he remembered of his dimension. It wasn't a deciding factor or anything. There was nothing too personal about Kid Flash and Wallace Rudolph West's life was the same as his own as far as he could tell.

And of course there were just some things that wouldn't be found online or in private servers. He could hack Batman's servers but he figured it wouldn't keep him on his good side. Besides, something told him that Batman would be willing to share any information he had. He just had to find a way to tell Batman what he was looking for. Was he ready to reveal his reason for dimension hopping? Wally just couldn't be too certain.

First things first. It was time to dig a little deeper into personal connections. While normally that would start with family and friends, Wally couldn't trust Barry Allen or Bart Allen. He wasn't even sure he could trust Iris West-Allen. Turning to Young Justice or the League was something he just wasn't ready to do. If anything he'd turn to Batman before he'd turn to them. But more than them, he'd trust the Roys. Clone Roy or real Roy, he'd trust either of them in his personal space. Maybe not with his identity quite yet, or with what he was searching for. Since he wasn't ready to get closer to the good guys for this, he'd go for the bad ones.

It was time to knock on the Rogues' door.


	6. A Private Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman takes Superboy aside for a chat about Wally.

Day One.  
This is the first day after Wally's arrival in Batman's dimension. He had watched carefully as the League watched him. It had been an absolute mess. There was yelling and questioning and more questioning. He let them 'talk' it out. Barry had wanted to keep things chill, although he could tell that Barry was wary. Especially over the speed deal. Another Speedster was big news. It took a lot of hard words to get them to calm down over that fact. He'd finally just asked them if they trusted him enough to trust his decisions, after all they've done so many times.   
They reluctantly allowed to his terms.

The Young Justice group kept arguing amongst themselves as well. They wanted to go out there and make Wally talk. Well, Batman couldn't very well allow that and shut their idea down real fast. He knew that Robin would try and hack into every database to keep a watchful eye over Wally, which was why when he got back to the Cave he made sure to create a program that would protect Wally's identity and position no matter what.

Superboy…was quiet. It wasn't unnatural, so nobody had questioned it. That was why once everyone had split up and returned to their usual place, Batman was visiting Mt. Justice. He easily brushed off the questions for his being there and about Wally, again, and asked to speak with Superboy in private. When he'd nodded and followed Batman, they went to a no tech, sound proof room without any vents for Robin to sneak in.

“You didn't tell them?” Batman questioned Superboy. He knew that Superboy would do anything for his friends, but realizing who their guest was would ensure that he didn't tell the rest of the team any important details. Superboy shook his head, “No.” Batman nodded, wondering just how much in the loop he should keep Superboy. “Is it really Wally?” Superboy asked, his eyes filled with longing and desire that it really be him.

Batman could see that Superboy really wanted it to be him. Batman, himself, was almost quite sure that it was Wally. Maybe their Wally. He'd seen the dark hair on the kid, but he'd also noticed the red locks and the freckles underneath the grime and blood. “I believe so.” He affirmed. “Whether it's our Wally or not, remains unclear.” He could almost hear the muscles clench as Superboy's hands formed fists, trying to control himself.

“Then we need to find him!” Wally, if it was him Superboy would never let him go again. He would never allow for him to get hurt. He wouldn't lose him again. He was, frankly, a bit angry and confused as to why Batman would let him go so injured and afraid. Yes, he'd heard Wally's heart rate increase with speed when Batman had approached him. He knew that Batman's words and acts of kindness had lessened the fear Wally was feeling. But Superboy was deeply confused and concerned. Why was Wally so afraid of them? Maybe it wasn't their Wally, because how could he be afraid of them? He wanted to know the answers to those questions so bad.

“Why was Wally afraid of us?” Superboy demanded to know the answers. Batman was someone with answers. He wanted them. Batman looked over Superboy, assessing the risk of telling him. If he told him then Superboy would want to do anything to make it right. He would protect Wally if needed first and foremost. Batman might need someone to protect Wally when and if he couldn't. 

Batman decided to explain his reasoning to Superboy. He told him about how Wally had been hurt, most likely by counterparts of the team and the League in other dimension. It was obvious it had had a traumatic effect on him. It was likely that they'd tried to kill him and almost succeeded from what he'd overheard when Wally had asked if Flash and the others would kill him if he said no.

Listening to Batman, Superboy's heart fell. He'd tried to kill Wally. No, it hadn't been him, but it had. It had been him somewhere else. He felt guilt and overwhelming anger at his counterpart. How dare another dimension's Superboy try to kill Wally. Had he had less control over himself, he would've been tearing the mountain apart in his rage and guilt. He couldn't go after Wally. Not knowing what he did. But he could make sure that no one else would go after him either.

Batman saw recognition in Superboy's eyes. There was so much hurt in them, so much anger. But he also saw a familiar feeling he, too, felt. It was the desire to protect. It was followed by the promise Batman knew he'd make, because he'd made it too. “No one will hurt him anymore. Not us. Not the League. Not the team. No one.” Batman knew he meant it. He wouldn't go after Wally. Wally would have to make his way back to them when he was ready.

Batman simply nodded and left Superboy to his thoughts, exiting the room. He was just about to leave when he felt Robin behind him. “There's something you're not telling us about him, isn't there.” Leave it to Robin to figure out that there's something connected to them. In all truth, Robin and Bart had become close. If it had been Nightwing there… Nightwing would've known. He would've… But Nightwing hadn't. “Do as I said. Leave him be. When he's ready, he'll come to us.”

Without waiting for Robin to respond, he left Mt. Justice. After all, he had a Speedster to check on. Roy would be heading to Central City today and Arsenal would follow later. He'd made sure that they knew that the guest wasn't dangerous. Batman might've hinted that they'd be meeting an 'old friend' and to keep any information they might discover between the three of them (four, if Superboy needed to know more). For now, he just hoped that Wally was doing okay.


	7. Yeah, That Was Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After searching the net for too long, in Wally's opinion, he decides to reunite with old villains.
> 
> Too bad they had to interrupt his hotdog break.

Wally's tired of searching the net for information and it's still day one! At least the Rogues will be fun. His stomach growls and he stops at a hotdog vender to get ten hotdogs all the way. He's glad that he withdrew money from the ATM with Bats' card earlier because street venders are cheap, don't take card, and he desperately wants to try the meaty delights he's been smelling as he walked through Central.

He's almost through his meal of hotdogs when he hears the familiar break of glass and shouting. Damn. He gobbles down the remainder of hotdogs and runs through the crowd at a normal speed so he doesn't draw attention. Turning a corner, he sees Captain Cold and Heatwave robbing a jewelry store. 'Ehhh..' He shrugs. 'Nothing new.' The only question now is does he question them now or wait until they break out of jail? Ughh… It's hardly a question. He's not as patient as he would like. Definitely not ready to go back to the internet for news.

His decision gets decided for him when a young girl falls. Children fall. It's nature. Falling onto glass during a Rogues' heist, however, is not high on his list of natural. Ripples in the Speedforce make him aware that help is coming. It wouldn't be in time for the little girl. And he needs to have a chat with the Rogues. He sighs heavily because he can take the time. It's slow to him, but still faster than the blink of an eye to a regular human.

He just thinks 'Damn the torpedoes' as he opens his ring and changes into his uniform. 'Fire!' He launches himself at the chaos. Before the girl blinks, she's away from the fight. His attention has turned back to Cold and Heatwave, who've noticed by now that they have Speedster company. Wally clears his throat. It sounded better when his body was more mature, but whatever. It grabs their attention.

“Who the fuck are you!?” Captain Cold snarls at him, while Heatwave is just tense and ready to fight. Wally just ignores the question for now. “Excuse me. I need to have a little chat with you and I would appreciate it if you gave back the jewelry for now so we could talk.” Hey, he can be courteous. It's odd enough to the Rogue pair as they look at each other confused. “How about 'no'?” Heatwave answers. Wally just smiles. “Sorry, not a request.” He moves too fast for the Rogue pair and replaces the jewelry back where it belongs. One at a time he grabs them and sets them back in the Rogues' bar.

He stops for a taco, sue him. He's hungry again. Besides tacos are good. Wally eats it as other Rogues in the bar realize his presence and Cold and Heatwave are readjusting themselves to normal speed. They're probably dizzy. Maybe feeling a bit nauseous. Wally hands them each a ginger beer that he got for them once he'd realized that. “Feeling okay?” He asks, a little concerned. Wouldn't want to ruin their dinner after all.

The Rogues are withdrawn and wary, but Captain Cold hasn't exactly tried to ice him yet, so Wally figures things are going okay. “What the fuck?” Wally wants to laugh at Mick's incredulous face, but he covers it with a cough. “So… are you feeling okay?” Wally asks and maybe he feels more familiar with them, more comfortable, because he rambles on. “Superspeed usually causes an imbalance and dizziness when a Speedster picks up someone. It's an inner imbalance as people don't normally go that fast their bodies have a hard time keeping up.” Captain Cold looks annoyed by this point. Not wary. Just annoyed.

“I'm just glad your clothes didn't catch on fire. I've seen it happen before and it was not pretty.” He opens his mouth to ramble on about that topic when he notices an annoyed glare from Captain Cold. “Uhh… Sorry, Len.” Len's eyebrows shoot up at the use of his nickname. After all, only close friends call him that. Wally cringes, the slip up causing all kinds of info opportunities for Len. Wally isn't quite worried about Len knowing who he is. It's just that Len might become a bit overprotective unless he knows everything. The Rogues are his after all.

“Who are you?” Len's voice is cold and demanding but Wally can tell there's a spark of curiosity. “An old friend perhaps?” Len's eyes narrow. “You don't seem too sure of yourself.” Wally can only shrug, because heck, even he doesn't know if they're his Rogues. “Well, right now I'm just a traveler looking for answers.” That seems to relax the Rogues a little, but they're still on guard.

Trickster, James, looks nervous. Wally doesn't want him to look like that. It's been so long since he's hung out with James. Maybe he should. They seem nice here after all. He had promised to play darts with him before he vanished in the REACH attack a year ago. He frowns for a moment and runs his eyes over the other Rogues, too fast for anyone to really notice. They look more withdrawn and a bit down. Wally decides that he really doesn't like that.

Anyways, he turns his attention back to Len as Len asks what kind of answers he's looking for. “I'm looking for information on Kid Flash.” Wally makes sure his voice is level and controlled, which isn't too hard. He feels oddly comfortable around the Rogue crew. He can hear mumbling between other members of the Rogues and he ignores them. “The original Kid Flash.” And that's when all noise stopped. Anyone who hadn't been looking at him, turned to stare at him with a curious defensiveness.

Surprisingly it's the Trickster who opens his mouth first. “He's dead.” Wally feels a sympathetic tug in his heart as he hears the almost broken sound in Trickster's voice. “James...” Wally wants to go over to him and invite him to place darts, tell him that he could be his Kid Flash. He's a Kid Flash. “It's possible...” Wally mumbles instead of hugging the Trickster. Len is the only one who hears him and Wally can see the way that Cold's brow furrows in thought.

“I want to know what his relationship with you was like.” Wally barrels on ahead. He wants to know that he's close. He wants this place to be his home and part of him is just begging to end his travel and stay in that world. “What's there to tell.” Len rudely interrupts his train of thought. Well, it is Cold. He can accept Cold's brash behavior. It seems oddly sad and angry though.

“You might have heard there was an incident that took place yesterday afternoon that involved the Young Justice and the League.” He sees nodding from Len. Cold's information network had always impressed him. It appeared he hadn't shared that information with the others because he sees the blank, confused looks. “That was me.” Wally asserts.


	8. Glitter Booms & Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally decides to let Cold -- Len, in on the secret.  
> In the meantime, he finds himself reflecting on glitter booms and promises.

And that's when everyone bursts out yelling at him, at least everyone except Cold. Wally hadn't seen the Rogues this riled up since James accidentally set off a glitter bomb here. Well, maybe not here, but you know, here. Suddenly Cold turns and waves his cold gun at the Rogues, yelling. “QUIET!” Sometimes Wally wonders if Cold is a meta too. He is unusually good at taking command of a messy situation.

“I guess we should be expecting a visit from the Flash or the League sometime soon.” Len says, bluntly with an accusing look in his eye that Wally just doesn't like. It's a good thing that Wally can set him straight. “No.” Wally cuts him off before he can curse any further. “They are under orders not to come after me.” Everyone's face mirrors their disbelief and Len scoffs at the idea. “Huh? Say what? Huh?” Is the response he gets. Which is kind of funny and he kind of wants to laugh, but he realizes that the Rogues are on edge, so he keeps from laughing.

“Batman has ordered them not to bother me.” Wally shrugs like it's no big deal, but the waves of blank faces that are trying to process what he'd said are overwhelming. You'd think Wally just tried to explain rocket science to them. Meh. Len is the first one to snap out of the shock. “Why?” Of course Len would demand to know the reason why. Len is always so cautious when it comes to unknown factors. Anyone else might find it annoying and call him paranoid, but Wally actually admires him for it.

Wally leans into Len's personal space, almost expecting to get a knuckle sandwich, but finds Len's allowance of it to be kind of pleasant. “Because I'm just looking for answers, Uncle Len,” Wally whispers into Len's ear too softly for anyone else to hear. “I want to know if I'm your 'Baby Flash' or not.” He feels a grim sense of satisfaction when he sees Cold's body stiffen with shock. It's obvious that the original Kid Flash had been their Baby Flash from his reaction.

It's a split second decision. Well, less for a Speedster, but who's counting? The Rogues blink and Wally's gone for a few moments. They blink again and suddenly he reappears in front of Trickster, handing him a wrapped gift. “I made a promise.” Wally simply says as Trickster takes the present and unwraps it slowly. The wrapping paper falls away as Trickster squeals happily. Wally can't help but smile. It was a year late, but he could finally keep his promise to give James a birthday present.

The Rogues are watching with caution and confusion. James pulls out a “Bag of Tricks” set from a local shop that specializes in pranks. Wally had promised to give it to him for his birthday before he'd been thrown onto a dimensional roller coaster die. The smile on James' face is worth it. He kind of wants to hug James, but it seem like it might be taken as a bit creepy on his part, so he refrained.

James looks at him, happy, but suspicious. “Why?” Wally smiles a little, nostagic. “You wanted this, didn't you?” James slowly nods. It's enough for Wally. He flashes back over to Len and watches as James goes through his present, excited. “If he sets off another glitter bomb in here, I'm blaming you.” Len murmurs to Wally. That would honestly be hilarious in Wally's opinion. He hadn't gotten to see the glitter bomb explode, but the aftermath was freakin' hilarious! Len's face was so red it --- Wait a second…

Wally locks eyes with Len, who'd been searching Wally's face with a growing sense of recognition. So… either it's an odd coincidence, or… “What? The blue and silver glitter was very becoming.” Wally decides to throw out a feeler. Len glares at him, except it's dampened by another feeling. It looks like happiness to Wally. “It took forever to clean up.” Len growls.

A rare smile from Len makes Wally feel like crying. Len rarely smiled. It was an odd show of emotion, very much like Batman's, that made Wally feel at home. “Is it really you, kid?” Len asks, his voice wavering a little bit. Wally nods. “It looks like it. I mean, I – “ For Speedsters time goes by really slow. So slow that it looks like time stops when they don't. The instant Len hugs Wally, though, Wally doesn't have to move because he's certain time's stopped just for that moment.

Cold's never hugged Kid Flash. Len's never hugged Wally. Until now. “Um… Len? Uncle Len?” Wally asks, slightly worried. Wally's not sure but he thinks someone might have fainted because he hears a loud thud and the break of glass. “I still might not be your Baby Flash, you know. I've been wandering through dimensions, looking for my home for a while now and… things sometimes seem the same, but aren't the same… I mean, I don't know if the Justice League and Young Justice are the same as I remember or not….” Wally's rambling and Len lets him.

Len lets go, slowly, eyeing Wally and taking in the fading dye, a bruise that can't quite be covered up by his suit as it's on his cheek. “What happened, Kid? Why aren't you with your team and the League?” Wally wants to tell him more. He wants to tell him everything. He's almost sure that this is his dimension. His home. But he can't quite find it in himself to reconnect with the League to be sure, not after all he's been through. He'll just have to live with that uncertainty until he can brave his trauma and make sure.

“I can't...” Wally's voice is soft and cracks at the end. “I can't be sure this is my home yet, Unc-- Len. I've seen so many dimensions. You know in one dimension Mick was a woman?” Wally chuckles at Len's raised eyebrow. Everyone aside from the two are confused, although James seems to be figuring it out. Len's cold hands touch Wally's cheek where the bruise is lightly. “And this?” Wally's fake smile falls. He wants to force all of the memories of blood and pain out of his mind. “A… Flash counterpart did that.”

Wally has to smile a little. It's endearing to see the protective gleam in Len's eyes. “Flash did that?” Len's voice is demanding and it makes Wally feel safe. Wally shakes his head as he responds, “Not this dimension's Flash. Another one, elsewhere.” Len looks like he wants to ask more and his hand glides over his cold gun, kind of like he wants to ice the Flash. Wally's not sure he won't. Even if it wasn't this dimension's Flash, Len can tell that Wally is hurting and most likely afraid of this world's Flash. Oh yeah, he'd ice the Flash for Wally any day.


	9. Baby Flash!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spilling his identity, he just goes right into it. He explains why he's there. Course everyone wants to know why he's with the Rogues and not his friends and family.

“Baby Flash!?” James squeaks loudly. Wally turns away from Len and honestly he isn't sure if he should nod or not. He could be. His personal life as Wally West and his personal life with Young Justice and the League is still a mystery, even if his life with the Rogues adds up. His indecision leads him to simply incline his head and shrug his shoulders at the same time. “It's possible,” Len responds at the same time, because Wally obviously doesn't know how to handle this.

James bounds across the room and throws his arms around Wally. Wally stumbles with the sudden weight and feels a bit bad for having to have Len keep him from falling over. Wally can't help but laugh and give James a little hug back. “Well, hello to you too.” Wally lets himself believe that this is his dimension. It's not hard after all.

Still, he sighs and hates that he has to ensure they don't get the wrong idea. Wally dislodges himself from James' octopus hug. “I'm a Kid Flash. It doesn't mean I'm your Kid Flash.” Wally states, hiding his sadness at having to admit it. James looks confused, as do the other Rogues, but he can see that they are more than into the belief that he's their Kid Flash.

“Ever since the fight with REACH, I've been wandering through dimensions.” Wally's taken a seat at the bar, his back leaning onto it, mindful of his injuries. “The energy from the fight flung me across dimensions and I've been searching for my dimension ever since.” He's not surprised when Mirror Master, Sam, speaks up. “So, you've been crossing dimensions to find the one that matches your memories and situation?” Wally nods. It wasn't a concept that was unlike the Mirror World that Mirror Master controls.

“I've been to 15 dimensions. Some, in which, none of us existed. Out of 9, in which I was Kid Flash, I either vanished or died in the battle with the REACH in 6. In the other 3, I died a from other circumstances.” Wally shrugs, like finding out that the majority of the dimensions were him never making it passed the invasion. “But they weren't your dimension,” Sam says slowly, processing the information. Wally nods. “How many were similar to your dimension?” The Pied Piper, Hartley, pipes up.

“Including this dimension? Five.” Wally remembers the subtle differences that ended up breaking his heart each time he found out he wasn't home. “But this one is close...” Wally nods, because it's true. “Why aren't you with your team or the Justice League?” He cringes, unsure of how to answer. “Flash and the gang's counterparts beat the daylights out of him,” Len answers instead of Wally.

It sounds so much worse when he hears it out loud. It sounds pretty shitty to the Rogues too, because he can see them tense up. “Yeah… Some stuff happened.” He winces, feeling a ghost hand on his throat. He absentmindedly rubs his throat, missing how his action makes everyone's eyes narrow in anger. “Anyways, I know they aren't the same, but...” Wally trails off, leaving Len to finish his thought out loud. “He isn't feeling so kind towards heroes right now.” Everyone is nodding with understanding.

“I have to get over it soon to ask them about this world's Kid Flash and my alter-ego, but I'm just – I'm not ready yet.” Wally kicks his feet as they hang from the bar stool, looking a bit pathetic. He's grateful when nobody laughs at his fear. He's not sure he could handle it if they thought he was a wimp from not being able to overcome his fear of heroes. Who's afraid of heroes? Well, super villains, but Wally is definitely not one. Even Wally thinks it's wonky.

“Anyways,” Wally shakes himself loose of his feelings. “I'm going to have to go research more.” He can tell that they're still have difficulties understanding the situation, but they let him have it. They don't move to stop him or anything. “I know I may not be your Baby Flash, but can I ask… can you not tell anyone about me? Only Batman and Superboy know.”

Honestly, he's not sure what they'll say. The Rogues were always a private, tight knit bunch. They were kind of like family. It had been unusual for them to let Wally in. Sure Wally had been kinder than the Flash. He'd checked up on them, made sure they weren't hurt too badly after a fight, maybe grab some food, but they'd accepted him. For whatever reason, Wally became their 'Baby Flash'. It annoyed him to no end, that nickname, but Wally always felt a little warm inside because of it.

He wants to sink to the floor with relief when he sees them nod. “No need to ask.” Heatwave, Mick, says in his own gruff, low voice. “Not like we chit chat with heroes anyways.” His reassurance makes Wally smile. He always was like a grizzly uncle. Kinda like his Uncle Hal, except without the womanizing tendency and the whole hero bit.

“Thanks guys.” Wally thinks a lot before he finally says. The Rogues smile and laugh a little. Wally laughs with them. It's an odd feeling, but it feels so comfortable and so normal that they don't care. For the first time since that day a year ago, they feel like things could be normal again.

They break out the beer, though in Wally's case it's a soda, and talk. They talk about the past. The first time they saw Wally trip and fall into a puddle that Weather Wizard had caused during a heist. Then there's the first time Wally threw a punch that knocked the wind out of Heatwave. There's the first time Wally saved Trickster during a fight. They talk for a while and Wally doesn't mind. Everything they talk about is further concreting his belief that this could be his dimension.

Everyone finds it funny when Wally's stomach growls letting them know that they skipped lunch. It's funny how his hunger leads to the hunger of everyone around him. They offer to have lunch with him, but he turns them down. He eats a lot and he can't have his eating habits milking them dry. He did just stop a heist after all. Their payday is going to wait.

It's when they want to insist that a small beeping lets Wally know that he has an incoming call on his comm system Bats gave him. “Ssshh!” Wally says to quiet them down, which luckily they obey. He's sure that Batman knows where he is and who he's with, but he wants to keep them as separate as possible.

“Hey Bats,” Wally says, trying to be as casual as possible, even as a hint of fear rises inside of him. “Wally,” he hears the low rumble of Batman's voice from the speaker, “I just wanted to let you know that Roy is on his way to your hotel. The other Roy won't be long behind him.” Wally's nodding, feeling the fear fade a bit. “Sounds great Bats.” And he goes on, because hey, Speedsters ramble and he should probably get it out there. “Sorry to leave you hanging with the Flash after the Rogue deal.” There's the sound of a small chuckle from the other end and Wally wonders if he's smiling. “It's fine.” There's a pause. “How are you?”

When Batman asks him how he is, he freezes. It's not out of fear this time. He feels safer now. The Rogues, his old friends perhaps, surround him and he's had a chance to relax and recover with them, both mentally and physically. “Working through it alright, I guess.” Wally finally responds. “Can we meet sometime?” It's said with a hesitant voice. “Yes. Maybe… tomorrow?” Wally suggests. “Done.” And the line goes dead. Such a typical Bat thing to do. Heh.

“Sorry guys, looks like I've gotta jet.” Wally turns to the Rogues. He immediately sees James' pout and he can't help but smile. It looked just like the first time Wally had had to cancel their darts game to go on a covert ops mission. God, he hated to see James pout. Luckily he'd gotten immune to it. Mostly.

Len is the first one to pat his shoulder. “If you ever need anything...” Len lets his offer trail off because everyone knows the unspoken promise. Wally smiles and nods. “Thanks Len.” He turns and walks over to the door, opening it and calls back to the Rogues. “Thanks guys. It was great to see you again.” He's practically beaming at the familiar smiles on the Rogues' faces as he exits and heads back to his hotel.

Now that Wally knows the Rogues he knows are his own, he's going to have to find out if everything else is his own too. Personally, he knows that there's the chance that it's the only similarity and he'll have to run his way to another dimension to continue searching, but for now he's happy. He might be allowing himself to dream, but he figures that after all he's been it's worth it. Now it's time to rekindle his “friendship” with the two Roys and see if they are the ones he knows.

Wally missed the two Roys. Well, Roy and his clone. Meh. They were still Roy to him. Not that they were the same. They might have been made of the same DNA, looked the same, and felt the same about Wally, there were some subtle differences. Clone Roy, who had taken real Roy's place for several years, was actually less nuclear than real Roy. Real Roy was more aggressive. Clone Roy liked to share caramel popcorn with Wally. Real Roy preferred to share butter and salted popcorn with Wally. Wally didn't mind. Everyone always assumed that he would eat anything, but the two kinds of popcorn were a private favorite of his.

He was looking forward to reuniting with two of his most treasured friends and his favorite same DNA duo.


	10. Reuniting with Bloodhounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Clone Roy and Real Roy.
> 
> Wally meets with the two heroes that he trusts despite his traumas. It goes a lot better than he'd hoped. Maybe he should give them a dog treat for not punching first and asking questions later.

When real Roy had first been rescued from Cadmus, Wally was at a loss for about .05 seconds. That was all it took for him to come to terms, deciding that the same DNA and memories (that they shared) did not equate to the same person. He loved them both. It was one of the many things that had shocked and amazed those around him. While some had drawn back, unsure of what to do, and others had blamed Clone Roy for real Roy's situation, Wally was the only one who befriended and treasured them both.

It seemed Wally had surprised everyone who knew him. He'd accepted them with no problems. He could tell who was who regardless of uniform or real Roy's metal arm. He simply knew. He knew and they were different people to him. They might have shared similar interests and similar features but they were separate. Both special to him in their own ways.

He quickly changed back into his regular clothes, having changed in less than an instant, ready for the sound of trouble that the Captain Cold and Heatwave had caused earlier. It wouldn't do to return to the hotel looking like he was ready for a fight. Wally knew better than that. The Roys might've been superheroes but after their experience on the street fighting crime, it would be logical to hit first and then ask questions later. He was not going to push his luck.

Wally wasn't afraid of either Roy – far from it. He felt the flutter of happiness in his stomach at the thought of reuniting with his friends. Still, the 'better safe than sorry' approach would be best. Both Roys hit hard. It made him grimace at the thought of the last time he took a punch from clone Roy. He'd forgotten to eat, skipped a meal or two and blacked out like he was on the verge of death. He'd never seen clone Roy so ticked and worried. Speedster or not, he did not see that punch coming. He could just remember the ringing in his ears from that punch. So, no. Plain clothes would be best. Knowingly or not, he did not want a punch from either Roy.

Making his way through the city, he found that despite his relaxed state, he was anxious to meet them. Wally picked up his pace a little bit, kind of speed walking. The kind that to normal humans might seem a bit odd, but nothing that would leave an impression or seem too strange. He repressed the desire to outright run with his speed. Batman's orders or not, he wasn't going to draw the attention to himself. Not until he could handle it at least.

He could admit, that when he arrived back at his hotel, there was no sign of either Roy. His fantasy about seeing them and having a group hug was unrealistic, but it didn't stop him from wanting it. Wally made his way through the lobby and up the elevator (which annoyed him to no end, because it was so slow). Quickly unlocking the door, he entered the room. It was a little messy. He'd forgotten to trash the snack wrappers from his morning snack time. After trashing the wrappers and eating a cookie he'd somehow missed, he watched a little bit of TV until he heard a knock at the door.

The knock had him flinging himself off the bed. In his hurry, he stumbled on a stray bedsheet and fell to the floor with an undignified squeak. Even red faced from embarrassment as he opened the door, he couldn't help but grin. His body felt warm and tingly like the first time he'd snuck a sip of Roy's beer. Clone Roy looked like someone had ruffled his feathers, wary of Wally.

“Hi Roy,” Wally could only say. Clone Roy's eyes narrowed a bit, obviously questioning why a stranger would know his name. Batman may have explained that their 'guest' knew certain things, but that wouldn't stop the instincts to be suspicious and on guard. “Hi,” Clone Roy said cautiously. “Can I come in?” Wally stepped back into the room and out of his way as he stepped in.

“Roy is going to be here soon, right?” Wally questioned, handing a bottle of water from the hotel fridge to Clone Roy. “Yeah, he said he was about ten minutes out.” Wally smiled. “Great! Wanna watch TV with me until he gets here?” Clone Roy shrugged. It was a weird situation for him. He certainly wouldn't know what was going on and watching TV together sounded so normal.

Wally settled on the bed, privately happy when clone Roy took the space beside him. Neither was really paying attention to the soap playing on the TV. Clone Roy was certainly good at pretending to watch it, but Wally knew better. Both Roys hated watching the overly dramatic acts of soaps. Wally liked them well enough, but he was more interested in looking over his old friend. He seemed a bit more lean than before, more collected and yet at the same time more frayed at the seams. It tore at Wally's heart to see his friend like that.

“Take a picture, it'll last longer.” The words jolted him out of his assessment of clone Roy. Wally found himself looking him in the eyes, blinking in confusion, until he figured it out. “Sure, got a camera?” Wally quipped, grinning. He was pleased to see a questioning eyebrow raised on clone Roy's part. He really just wanted to blurt out everything. It's not that he didn't trust Roy. He just wanted Roy to trust him.

Another knock had Wally jumping off the bed and using a little bit too much speed, he ran into the door with a loud thud. “Ow...” He rubbed his head as he opened the door, hearing a snort of laughter from clone Roy. Yeah, that hurt. “Come in,” he said as he moved so real Roy could walk in, his eyebrow similarly raised as clone Roy's had been. “You laugh now, just wait until I eat all your caramel popcorn, idiot,” Wally muttered darkly.

Okay, so the resulting sharp looks answered questions about the similarities. “What did you say?” Wally only shrugged and handed a bottle of water to real Roy. They know what he said. He knows they heard. Sharp eared, sharp sighted archers, the lot of 'em. Clone Roy turned off the TV as tension filled the air.

Real Roy moved to clone Roy's side, opposite of Wally. It was a display he'd often seen and participated in conflicts. They were ready to kick butt and Wally did not want them to kick his butt. He knew that they were suspicious and most likely they've started to see things that Batman saw.

“You're not dark haired.” Wally blinked in confusion. “Say what?” Clone Roy looked at real Roy and narrowed his eyes, squinting at Wally's hair. “Your hair's been dyed.” Wally glanced over at a mirror and looked closer at his reflection. “Ahhh… yes.” He saw his natural red hair peeking through the dark hairs.

Anyone could see the gears turning in their heads. Who knows what Batman told them? Well, they did. Wally certainly didn't. Batman obviously left out Wally's identity. Why? Maybe he wanted to be sure of Wally's identity or he was questioning Wally's motives. Wally shrugged internally. It could be likely that Batman was just keeping Wally's secret. If that was the case, Wally would be really grateful to him. He was taking risks that Wally didn't know he could. It seemed out of Batman's usual personality. Why?

“What did he tell you?” It was obvious to the Roys who Wally was talking about. They looked at each other. Wally wanted to tell them that he couldn't read minds, but he did know that they often talked with their eyes. To an outsider they could be twins with telepathy. Wally always cursed when they obviously knew what the other was thinking at times.

“He said that he wanted us to check up on someone 'we might know' and to make sure that you're okay.” Real Roy answered Wally, as their eyes roamed Wally's form. He knew that they were taking in the fading bruises that his clothes didn't cover. “Seems like you had a fight.” Wally's own eyebrow raised in the obviousness of that. “You should see the other guys.” Wally teased them, as he had often done so in the past. It paid off. He could see their mouths twitch, trying not to smirk.

“Your hand.” And now, Wally was lost. Sure he had a few bruises on his hands. He actually broke a few knuckles, punching the last dimension he visited's Batman. Damn that had hurt. It was healing okay. Wally didn't see why that could catch their attention. Then it was a glint in the light. The gleam of metal that caught his eye when he looked at the hand they were looking at.

Ah. The ring. His ring that was fashioned out of a silver colored alloy and displayed a blue lightning. The mark of a Speedster. Shit. Wally cursed at his own forgetfulness. It's not like he didn't want them to know. Honestly, he didn't mind. But it was the idea that if he'd met Barry or Bart out of uniform, they would obviously be able to tell who he was. Wally would have to be more careful.

“Who are you?” They're like dogs on a trail. Picking up pieces, running down leads. Bloodhounds. He'd actually called them that one day. Batman and Question may be ruthless about finding answers, but when it comes to friends, Roys pull no stops. So, scrap by scrap they were going to unconsciously pick up the hints and put them together. It's a losing battle to keep things from them once they set out to do it. Batman got a head start. Question is most likely looking into conspiracy theories and digging up dirt.

“You don't recognize me?” Wally kind of wanted to laugh, a bitter laugh. A sad laugh. 'Brave on.' Wally ran outside, using his speed to quickly pick up a few things from a drug store nearby. “Hold on.” He said as he raced passed the pair and into the bathroom. It took him about four seconds longer than he would've liked to clear the dye from his hair and remove the layer of futuristic make-up that had hidden his freckles.

“Okay, try again,” Wally said as he stepped back into the hotel room. It was a bit funny to see the shocked looks on their faces. Usually they looked so tense and ready to blow a gasket when they met strangers, but Wally knew they were taking in his fiery hair color with his freckles and green eyes. “Fuck me.” It was a bit more… explicative than Wally thought it should be, but his de-aged self was also a whammie to them. They knew him. Their eyes said it all.

“Wally?” Clone Roy croaked, his voice thick with disbelief and hope. “Um… cheers?” Wally said, trying to keep the atmosphere calm. There were several unbearably long seconds before they both exploded yelling. They were yelling at him, asking him where he was, what happened, why he was gone, and, what really ticked him off is when they asked him why he looked like a kindergarten brat. He knew he did not look that young.

“ROY! I'll tell you if you just shut the fuck up!” Wally's outburst, seeming to knock some sense into them as they shut up. “Now. Geez. What if you woke the neighbors.” He continued to complain about their yelling. “Damn, guys. I know you love me, but yelling is not the way to go. And yeah, coming back from the “dead” “ – Wally made quotation gestures with his hands when he said 'dead' – “but seriously, are you trying to make me go deaf?” He rubbed his ears, willing the ringing to go away.

“Wally.” Wally's head jerked up at them and caught their eyes. “What?” He could only blink as they flung themselves at him, hugging them, and threatening him that if he ever disappeared again they weren't going to the funeral. Wally could even see their eyes water up, but they didn't allow themselves to cry. It was so Roy-like, Wally cracked a smile. “The Hell, Roy!?” He tried to sound shocked, but he was acutely aware that his voice held relief and happiness.

They hugged for a while longer (Wally so happy that time was longer as a Speedster) and stepped back to look at him. “Are you okay?” The first serious, calm question he gets is 'is he okay'. Wally will not admit it, but he broke down, sobbing and crying. Fuck any other dimension. If they want him to stay, he'll stay with them. He can make this place his home. Wally tries to force down that panic that hasn't gone away since he saw the Justice League and Young Justice. He's not ready for that.

“I- I'm good, Roy.” Except he stutters from his sobbing and he knows that they can smell a lie. So they wipe his tears, hold him, and… give him a full body check. Bloodhounds. Before he could even throw a bone, they were both cataloging his wounds and recovering body. He'd groan in annoyance but he knew that they were just worried (and it kind of touched his heart).

After he'd gotten the chance to calm down, being forced back into bed because they'd found his still healing wounds worrisome, they sad on either side of him, quietly. “So… what is this?” Wally didn't want to admit his circumstances any more than he wanted to tell them. Still, a small part of him wanted them to know. He missed his friends. He wanted to be with them again.

As time passed on, he told them in a hushed, sometimes broken voice, about his journey. He might have left out a few pertinent details, but even they knew that there were somethings that Wally just wasn't ready to talk about. He'd seen things. Been through things. He'd need time. Wally was right to trust them. They'd be there for him. If anyone tried to force anything out of him, or God save them, hurt him, they'd have more prickly things stuck in them than a porcupine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure it's my best work, but I feel like Batman's influence would mellow them from reacting too violently.


	11. Is He Crazy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightwing goes to see Batman because everyone's been whispering that Bats has gone Batty.

No one could ever call Batman an idiot. He always thought things through. He always took precautions. His secrets had secrets and his back-up plans had ten back-ups. And he always – always – made sure that any new person he met wasn't a danger. If they could even remotely be a threat, he would take them down. That was Batman.

At least, it had always been Batman. Nightwing had heard more his fair share of rumors regarding an event taking place sometime yesterday. Not so unusual. Somehow things always seemed to happen. There were aliens, ninjas, assassins, and well… evil organizations. What was unusual, however, was Batman. He'd overheard Green Arrow saying that Batman must've gone 'bonkers'. Normally, he'd laugh at that (okay, so he did laugh – just a little). Green Arrow was always liberal with his words. But those same kinds of whispers throughout the superhero community? It's not liberal. It's something.

What is it? Nightwing doesn't quite know. Heck, Robin doesn't know and he was there that night. Not knowing is the enemy of the entire Bat Clan. When something was unknown, they'd work damn hard to figure it out. That's why, when Robin couldn't hack into the systems, he brought in Nightwing. When confronting an illogical Bat, always have an ally.

If the whispers were anything to go by, Nightwing carefully and quietly made his way into the Bat Cave. The clicking of keys standing out against the silence, familiar. He took a few moments to run his eyes over Bruce's form, dressed casually. “Are you just going to stand there or ask your question?” Nightwing's eye twitched. Batman always knew certain things and Nightwing's presence was no different.

“What's going on Bruce?” Nightwing asked carefully as he took off his own cowl, blue eyes gleaming with wariness and determination. “I'm not sure what you mean.” Bruce continued to type, eyes scanning over the information on the computer screen. Nightwing – Dick edged closer and leaned on the desk. “Everyone's saying you went… batty.” The typing paused as Bruce locked eyes with his ward, an eyebrow raised being the only emotional response. Dick thought it was good, at least.

“I'm fine.” Dick's eyes ran over Bruce's form again, taking in the tension and the tone of his voice. It was firm, but confident. No reason to think otherwise. “Then what happened?” Bruce closed his eyes for a second to gather his thoughts, switching the mainframe to sleep mode. “A situation.” He wasn't giving. Bruce had a secret. He wasn't even willing to give Dick a crumb.

Narrowing his eyes, he knew that he'd have to try and goad it out. “Bruce, ever since you adopted me and I found out you are Batman, I have never seen you not dig something unknown apart to figure out all the details. It's just who you are. You don't sit there and accept that it's beyond you, you sink your teeth into it like a lion. You don't just let anything even remotely dangerous go.” Bruce was looking at Dick, impassively. “So, do you want to try that again or are we going to sit here and play 'need to know basis' again?”

“I have it covered.” Dick felt a rush of annoyance and anger, gritting his teeth and taking a breath to keep shaking Bruce. He did not like it when Bruce with held information from them. More important, why and for what reason would he be holding information from Dick and Tim? They are a family both legally and out on the streets kicking butts and taking names.

“What the hell Bruce!?” Dick finally burst out. “Everyone's saying you cracked! What the fuck was it about that kid that got your attention?” Bruce stared at him impassively. “Or did he do something to you? Mess with your head!?” It was stupid. Bruce knew that Dick was pissed and refusing to tell Dick anything had been the last straw. It was just fumes and Bruce shouldn't have taken it to heart, but the thought that it was Wally and that Dick was saying those things about Wally made his blood boil.

“Shut. Your. Mouth.” Bruce tried to reign in his anger, but his words came out harsh and heated. Dick blinked, disbelief and shock shutting him up. He hadn't heard Bruce that upset since Tim got in trouble with Penguin. He couldn't believe it. Bruce was protecting someone. Someone he thought of as family. But seriously? 'What the fuck,' was all Dick could think.

Dick felt a twinge of hurt. “Why?” Bruce took a breath and let his anger fade. “Do we know him? Do I know him?” Bruce turned his face, getting up and focusing on his equipment. “No.” Dick heard him say 'no' but his actions screamed 'yes'. Bruce didn't want him to know. Bruce was protecting him, even from Dick. Something was definitely wrong. The entire situation was wrong.

Could the very person Bruce be protecting be someone important to him? Important to Dick? Dick was reeling from the revelations as he sped out of Gotham on his bike. He needed answers and if Bruce wasn't going to give them to him. He was going to get them on his own.

Bruce watched the monitors, seeing Dick tear out of Gotham. He knew that Dick was going to find out what happened. Secretly he was pleased to send Wally his friend. Wally and Dick had been close. Still, he felt a surge of guilt. Even if Wally needed Dick, if it hurt Wally and his recovery then all his care would have been for naught. There was the private, possessive thought that he didn't want Wally to become more afraid of him. He'd been allowed to enter Wally's personal space. Space that Wally hadn't allowed his old teammates and his mentor.

Breaking Wally's trust was not high on his list of things to do. It was very low, in fact. That's why he put in a call to Superboy.

\- Superboy here. -  
“Dick is trying to find out what happened.” Batman reported, his voice low. He heard Superboy sigh a little.  
\- He'll find out about Wally before too long. -  
Batman agreed. Dick was never one to leave things alone when he was curious. Sometimes he wondered whether Dick got that from the Roys or if they got it from him. Probably got it from him though. Batman was never one to let things go.  
\- I'll give him a call and see if I can stall him until Wally is ready. -  
Batman nodded. “If you need assistance let me know.” Superboy's voice pipped up, a little less formal and more nervous.  
\- ..How is he? -  
“He's recovering, coping.” At least that's what he was hopeful for. When it came to Wally, he'd learn that he could be surprisingly resilient. Never count a Speedster out, especially Wally. “I've planned to meet him tomorrow. I'll keep you informed.”  
\- Thanks. -  
The communicator clicked as the call ended. Bruce rubbed his temples, absently. He really just wanted to go to Wally right then and stay with him. At least there he could make sure he was safely away from any villains or heroes that might hurt him. He could admit, he might be a bit overprotective.

He hadn't been surprised when the GPS in the comm he gave to Wally had found him in the Rogues' bar. Rogues and Kid Flash had always had an unusually friendly relationship. It wasn't how things were in Gotham, it being so dark and filled with unsavory characters. Heck, it wasn't how things were in Central. Flash didn't have the same friendliness with the Rogues. It was simply Wally. Even the Rogues found that special part of Wally that Batman had found something to be treasured.

Although the relationship had first thrown him for a loop, he'd ended up giving way to what seemed to truly be a nice bond. He'd threatened to drown them in Gotham Bay if they'd betrayed Wally. He'd even done it in person, which was very satisfying to see them the quiver. But they'd eventually proven themselves to be good friends, or frenimies as Wally called them. They never hurt him to hurt him and on the off chance Wally had been hurt, they made sure to take care of him. So yes, Batman allowed the usual relationship to continue. He was glad he had. Knowing that Wally was with people who cared for him put his mind at ease.

Looking over his belt and equipment again, he could only hope that Dick would know better than to butt into Wally's life when he wasn't ready. He hoped.


	12. Chapter 12

Needless to say that Wally was more than content spending the rest of the day, lazying in bed under the care of the Roys. They had been quick to check his injuries and take care of them, despite how much Wally protested that he was healing fine. When they ordered Chinese food for dinner and sat on the bed, watching movies he simply melted.

Sure, they'd talked about how things were going for the Roys, how life was like before REACH, stupid shit that Dick did, how naive Wally was (he protested that fact), but they hadn't forced him to talk about how he got his injuries. For that night, they let it all go. Most people thought that Roy didn't do caring, emotional stuff, but Wally could prove them wrong over and over again. He just didn't want to reveal how warm and gooey they were under their hard, kevlar exteriors. It was Wally's private, sinful secret.

Dick knew though. Dick was their other brother (not by blood of course). Wally really missed Dick, but after all he'd been through, he wasn't sure he was ready for the pain or to cause Dick pain with his traumas. He ached to see Dick, but was caught in between the fear of seeing him and the fear of his past memories of alternate world's Dick. The reunion with the Roys was almost perfect. He just wish Dick could've been there too. Still, Wally knew that he'd need more time, but something told him he wouldn't have to wait long.

That night, he'd relaxed with the Roys and after watching hours and hours of movies, they'd all fallen asleep in a complex twist of limbs on the hotel bed. The stress of going out and meeting people, well re-uniting with people, had really worn him out. He was able to fall asleep much easier amongst the bodies of his two friends. They had often in the past given him a sense of safety and a place to relax. That was why he was out before he knew it, allowing them to get so close and to even cuddle him in his sleep. He hated to admit it to himself, but he really liked cuddles.

And yet there was something. Perhaps it was the shock that was wearing off, the shock of meeting the League and the Team who had reminded him so much of his pain and the torture that he'd endured at their hands, but that night his nightmares came back in full terrifying force.

Wally moaned in his sleep, fitfully turning. The two Roys were naturally light sleepers and the first painful whimper that escaped Wally's lips had them bolting up, ready to attack. When a soft, pitiful 'please' escaped his mouth, they were at his side, hands on his shoulders and cheeks, begging him to wake up. “Wally, Wally, wake up! It's just a dream Wally.” They shook him. “Wake up!”

Seeing their brother with tears glistening on his cheeks as they turned on the lamp was something that made their hearts bleed. “Please…. Please… don't hurt me… Uncle Barry…. Supey… what are you doing..?” Wally flinched and sobbed in his sleep. “Don't hurt me anymore… please… please...” Wally's begging was the last straw and they were begging, in return, for him to wake up. “Wally, Wally, wake up. Please, Wally..”

Hearing a pain cry was the last straw for them. Clone Roy shook Wally while real Roy grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge and emptied it on Wally. “Gahh!” Wally woke with a start from the cold water. His face pale, body shaking as his eyes wildly looked around the room before resting on both Roys. “What the – Roy? Wha's wrong?” His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as he reached out for the blankets to wrap around his form. “Wally,” Clone Roy's voice was soft and hesitant. “Wally, you were having a nightmare.”

'Well of course I was having a nightmare,' Wally wanted to retort, slightly annoyed from being drenched in cold water and woken up. It wasn't their fault. They were just worried about him, so he sighed. “Yeah, it's okay.” And obviously that was the wrong thing to say because he could see the flash of concern and anger in their eyes. It wasn't anger towards him. It was anger towards the cause of his nightmares. They were caring like that.

“Wally, it's not okay.” Real Roy spoke, making sure to move into his focus and locking eyes with him. “Wally, what happened?” Clone Roy jerked his attention towards real Roy. “The fuck? I thought we were going to wait?” Real Roy's arm twitched in clone Roy's direction. “Wally needs us now! Waiting won't do him a bit of good. He trusts us.” Real Roy snapped at clone Roy, his voice impatient.

Honestly? Wally was kind of enjoying the show between the two. It was always a good show. They had the most interesting interactions. They could fight like crazy and still come to Wally afterwards and go get ice cream together. People always thought that they hated each other because of how much they fought, but it wasn't like that. Fighting was just the way they communicated best.

He trusted them. He really did. But how could he tell them what he'd been through? What he'd seen? How could he tell them how his heart had been broken so many times, how his bones had been broken, how he'd laid amongst the rubble, bleeding and waiting to die? God, it would hurt them. Wally knew better than to think they would pity him. They would be sad, angry, upset, but they would never pity him. After everything they'd been through, they knew that pity was the last thing a broken hero would want.

Both Roys were looking at him, expectantly. Patience, evident in their eyes. What Wally couldn't admit to the Rogues, he could admit to them. Blindly, he reached out and slipped his hands in one each of theirs. “D-don't be mad, please?” His voice broken as he pleaded with them. They gave his hands a gentle squeeze. “Of course.” Wally softly recounted his nightmare, a reminder of his past.

_“Wally!” Barry Allen's voice harsh and bitter, no remainder of the kindness for his nephew. “What did you do to them!?” Wally shrunk under the heated glare of his uncle. “Wh-what? I didn't do anything!” Wally pleaded with him, begged him to understand. “Kid, just tell us what you did to them.” It was Clark's voice, hard and cold. “I didn't do anything!” Wally sobbed, surrounded by the very people who'd once been his family._

_“No lying!” Green Lantern – Hal – snapped at Wally, who sunk to his knees as tears poured down his cheeks. “I'm not lying! I swear!” His wounds from where his former teammates struck him in their rampage aching and throbbing. “Please, believe me!”_

_“I believe you,” Hawkgirl said, kneeling in front of him. For a second a brief flare of hope was roused in him, only to be dashed. “I believe you'll need a bit of motivation.” He saw the first before it struck, but disbelief froze him from moving. He was too stunned to even cry out from the pain. “N-no, please,” he begged._

_“Stop.” The voice belonging to Batman, as he stepped beyond the crowd. “I'll take care of it. Nothing a few days in a cell can change.” Wally's eyes went wide with fear, body quivering. “N-no, no, please! Bats, I swear I didn't do anything!” He went to throw himself at Batman and beg for him to understand, but as he did so an inhibitor collar was strapped on his neck, compliments of his Uncle Barry._

_The inhibitor collar left him powerless to stop the kick to his gut from Wonder Woman. He felt his ribs creak and one snap under the force of the blow. A sharp gasp of pain escaped his lips as he fell to the floor, writhing in pain. He had never felt such fear from any villain he'd ever fought. He'd never felt such utter despair. Numbness overtook his body and he just laid there, sobbing, whimpering, begging for them to come to their senses._

_A hand grasped his red hair and he felt himself being dragged towards the cell. Darkness overtook him. ___

__Wally recounted his tale, sobbing in between words. His breath hitched as he told them about how his nightmare had been real. It was a memory. The painful things that they'd done to him. When he was finished telling them that memory, they'd grabbed him and hugged him tightly. He clung to them, sobbing as they whispered words of comfort and rubbed his back. He cried until he was exhausted and fell asleep in their arms._ _


	13. Investigating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick goes to the site of the Speedster's arrival and begins to rifle through the facts. It's too bad a phone call cuts it short.

Dick worked through the night, hunting down clues, looking over the initial arrival site of their other dimensional guest. Turns out besides destruction and residual energy waves, there wasn't much else at the scene. There were some usual scorch marks that resembled when a car slammed on the brakes though. That troubled him a little. He'd heard that their guest was a Speedster. To make such pronounced braking lines their guest must've been going extremely fast.

He pondered over the dimensional jumping theory. How had this Speedster been able to cross dimensions? Had he some sort of ability that their Speedsters didn't possess? Sure Bart had come from the future, but he hadn't technically crossed dimensions. Bart had also used a machine that relied on his speed to make the time jump. Regardless, it looked like speed could be the common factor. The lack of technology on the new Speedster's part led him to believe that perhaps it was a unique skill or knowledge that allowed him to pass through dimensions.

Dick really wanted to go hunt the Speedster down and demand answers face to face. The downside of that plan was that he didn't know where to begin. Batman was keeping things on the down low. Information pertaining to the comm system and the card that Batman had given the Speedster were held tightly under digital lock. Surveillance cameras with the Speedster were compromised by a virus Batman had sent out so that no one could get a look at him.

There were eye witness reports from the encounter with the Rogues, but other than word by mouth anything published on the internet was immediately blocked or deleted. It was extremely vexing. Even having Tim do an under-the-radar hack was proving to have no results, and Tim was a better hacker than Dick was. Dick was quite frankly getting frustrated and considered calling Batman to vent. Seriously, he wasn't some stranger.

Dick sighed, tempted to throw his energy reader at a tree and watch it break. Surely that would be more satisfying than his crap shit investigation. He put the tech back in his belt and rubbed his aching temples. This 'finding-him-in-the-present' plan was not working out so well. He almost wanted to give up and just accept the rumor that Batman went crazy because it would be easier. Contrary to popular belief, however, Batman was no more crazy than Superman, the alien boy scout. So. Yeah. Batman was sane.

'Okay, if you can't find out where he is, maybe _who_ he is is the key. Fact: He's young. And well, he's a he.

Fact: He's from an alternate dimension.

Fact: He didn't attack anyone. He was actually more afraid of being attacked.

Fact: Batman wasn't hostile towards him.

Fact: Batman said 'he knew him'.

Fact: Batman defended him.

Fact: Batman used Superman's real name. 

Conclusion: He knows Bruce Wayne is Batman. He also knows Clack Kent is Superman (based on the Kansas quip and Batman's use of his real name).

Hypothesis: He's someone I know.'

 

Dick was normally excellent in investigating. Second to Batman and Question, perhaps, but pretty damn good at what he did. This case, for whatever reason, was causing him all sorts of grief. Was it the lack of villain? The unusual absence of crime? As far as he knew, the only one who had been hurt was their guest and he'd shown signs of being afraid of the Team and the League. Whatever had happened to him, had happened perhaps at their hands in an alternate universe.

Now. If only Dick could get ahold of his identity.

With dawn approaching, he wound up in Star City. He wasn't necessarily looking for answers here. He could always question Green Arrow if he needed to, but for right now Dick just wanted to get some food and take a breather. Maybe he'd even call Roy.

He spotted a local diner that Roy had introduced to him the first time Dick had come to see Roy in Star City. That had been back when Dick was still Robin. Back when Wally had still been with them. He remembered Roy and Wally there for breakfast. Wally had been sneaking bits of their food off of their plates and onto his. Sneaky bugger, he was. But they let him, pretending not to notice. Speedsters did have a faster metabolism and thus needed more to eat.

Walking into the diner, Dick found himself sitting at the same booth, staring at the street as the city woke up from its sleep. He even found himself ordering fries instead of hashbrowns as Wally had once done when they had eaten there for breakfast. He chuckled, caught up in the memory of how Wally had flicked a packet of sugar at Roy for stealing one of his fries. The entire sugar packet had ended up taking a dive into Roy's coffee and splashing him.

Wally had avoided being alone with Roy for the entire night after that incident.

Absentmindedly, he ate his breakfast, relaxing into the booth. He didn't think much of it when his phone rang and answered without looking at the ID. “Dick here.”

_”Hey, Dick? It's Roy.”_ Now why would Roy be calling so early in the morning. “Bit early for you to be awake, or late, as the case might be. What's up?” _”Heard that you were checking out the disturbance.”_ Dick nodded and 'mhm'-ed. _”Can you hold off on it?”_

Roy wanting Dick to basically stop investigating was a shock. It was extremely curious as well. While Dick didn't visibly tense, his mind was doing laps trying to think of reasons. Coming up short, he could only ask. “Why?”

_”Look, I-- we're not saying you can't find out. Just give him a chance to come around.”_ Him. 'Give **him** a chance to come around.' Him could only mean the Speedster. “You know who it is?” He asked, trying to keep from raising his voice in joyful curiosity. _”Yes. And before you ask, I can't tell you. Yet.”_ Dick's brows furrowed in confusion. Roy knew. Both Roy's know. He had said 'we,' after all. They wouldn't tell him. At least not yet, he'd said. “Why?”

_”It's complicated. But you need to trust us.”_ Dick vaguely remembered to nod as a waitress filled his coffee cup. “I do. Just tell me, one thing – do you trust him?” The answer he got was one he hadn't been expecting. _”With our lives.”_ Dick blinked and thought he might drop the cup he'd picked up to sip. Seriously. What the fuck. This was big. Roy – both Roys, trusted this mysterious visitor with their lives.

Dick wanted to demand so many more answers. There were a shit ton of new questions that this brought up, but he held his tongue. He wasn't going to get any more answers. He needed to trust them – the Roys at least. “Fine,” he huffed, frustrated. “Just be careful okay? Call me if you need anything.” It was all he could do. _”Always, Dick.”_

Dick finished off his second cup of coffee, rubbing his temple. It had been obvious from the call that both Roys were with the Speedster. They knew him, or there'd been some major developments in trust between the two sides. For what reasons, Dick could only guess. He'd said that he would hold off on the investigation. It didn't mean that he would hold off thinking about the identity of the Speedster.

Getting up and leaving the money on the table, he figured that he could just go into work at the Bludhaven Police Station. It would keep him occupied and taking another day off just wasn't going to fly. 'Roy better know what he's doing,' was all Dick thought as he got back on his bike and sped back to Bludhaven. 'It's all up to Roy.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. It was a lot harder than I thought to write Dick's chapter. I'm not actually sure where this will go next. So, it'll surprise us both.


	14. The Ape Crazy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally and the Roys decide to go out and enjoy the day, which is perfectly fine. Until they get interrupted.

Waking up at 9am was definitely something that Wally was not ready to do. As he hadn't been woken earlier, it occurred to him that even the Roys had let his late sleeping fly. It was probably due to the fact that he'd broken down after the nightmare and sobbed like a little girl (which in any other situation they would've laughed at). It only went to show just how much the Roys cared for him. Truly after the night they had, he was touched (and dare he say, tempted to cry again).

  


Still, he was not liking waking up. Wally's head was pounding after the emotional roller coaster he went on last night. Crying yourself to sleep would take a lot out of a person. Needless to say that his stomach was also suffering. He was freaking starved. The growling of his stomach seemed to echo in the room as he forced himself to get up.

  


His eyes flicked to something traveling in the air but he was too lazy to grab it so it hit his head and fell to his lap. “Wha?” Both of the Roys were chuckling at Wally's slow reactions and he scowled at them. Looking down, he saw that they'd tossed him a breakfast sandwich. They did always seem to know when he was running low, even when his stomach wasn't yelling it to the world.

  


Wally muttered about how they were too awake for the morning and how it was 'unnatural' – which was odd because it was definitely usually the other way around. He speed ate the breakfast sandwich and hopped into the bathroom, tearing off his clothes before jumping in to take a quick shower. When he got out, he was more awake and found a clean pair of clothes waiting for him. It made his mouth twitch, bordering on a smile to think about how caring they were being.

  


“Hey Wally! Hurry up! We're hungry!” Wally glanced at the door, hearing Clone Roy's voice. He was hungry too. They never were very patient when it came to food, but then who was Wally to judge? Wally was the picture of impatience. He grinned and quickly changed clothes, speeding into the room and cleaning it up real quick. “So, can we go now?” They jumped a little as he seemed to just materialize out of thin air. They must've missed that.

  


Wally was sure he had a smug grin on his face as they cursed loudly. Startling them was fun. It was a kind of normal happiness that he'd once taken for granted. He wasn't about to make that mistake again. Whether he belonged here or not, he just wanted to feel normal, to find happiness. He wanted his family and friends.

  


Just like that the day began with eating breakfast back at that diner he'd first eaten at the day before. He was pleased the Roys enjoyed the food. Wally definitely ate a lot, but that was normal for him. After breakfast, they'd ended up at the Flash museum. It was a silly idea, but somehow it seemed to suit them. Secrely Wally had been wanting to go there, so he was happy and he had the growing suspicion that they knew.

  


Unfortunately, that's where things went wrong. Wrong like so wrong. Wrong like Batman wearing pink wrong.

  


An explosion grabbed their attention from the Kid Flash exhibit. Without thinking and before either Roy could react, Wally had changed into his Speedster outfit and disappeared after the explosion. It was a thoughtless, careless act. Still, it was what heroes did. When there was trouble, acting fast and thinking fast were priority. Getting there fast, and often times first, was what Wally was best at.

  


Sometimes even a Speedster isn't fast enough. This was one of those times. When he arrived, he saw injured people struggling to get away from the rubble of a bank. There was a piece of rubble that swayed from part of the entrance. That made him speed up and grab a boy from the path of the rubble before it slammed onto the ground.

  


Wally asked if the boy was okay and he'd nodded. Emergency personnel were helping the injured to get out of the way, so Wally left the boy in one of their care. It made his heart clench to think of the injured, the possibly dead, but he couldn't afford to think about that. Not when there was still danger.

  


And there was still danger. The appearance of Ultra-Humanite was never good. It was even worse when Wally saw his company. Similarly armed apes. It was official. He was never going to the gorilla exhibit at Central City Zoo again. Nope.

  


Wally groaned, unhappily. This was either going to hurt a lot or going to hurt worse.

  


After years of being Kid Flash, he reacts before he thinks. It's a habit he's tried hard to break. Sometimes it works. Not often though. Wally's just not the kind of person who could allow innocent people to get hurt. He knows he shouldn't be doing this. There are other heroes coming. He's felt a ripple in the Speedforce. A Speedster is coming. This is just one of those times when he can't help himself.

  


“Yoo-hoo! Gorilla fan club meeting here today?” The quips flow from his mouth as easy as they did before the incident. Wally isn't surprised to hear growls of disgust and anger from the gorillas.

  


“Who are you?” He raises his eyebrow at Ultra-Humanite's demand. Does anyone ever answer that question in a situation like this? Wally simply shrugs in a lazy fashion. “Just a concerned citizen.”

  


“Concerned citizen? Clearly you forgot to dress like one.” Wally takes offense to that. He knows that black and blue are not as awesome as the traditional Speedster red and yellow, but nice Zoom helped him with this new uniform (even if he had pouted about the colors at first).

  


“I thought you were supposed to be smart and all you do is diss my outfit? Not cool, monkey man.” Ultra-Humanite scoffs in disdain, undoubtedly finding the young Speedster to be a pain in the ass. Wally doesn't mind. It comes with the territory.

  


“Why don't you go back to your cages or wherever you crawled out of and I can get back to enjoying my day?” Wally asks, wanting to hope that it could end that easy. It's obviously too much to ask for as Ultra-Humanite raises his gun and shoots at Wally. He dodges, speeding through the rain of laser bullets and heading towards the source.

  


The other gorillas join in, forcing Wally to pull back unless he wants to end up hole-y. He likes his body whole, thank you very much. The continueous fire keeps him at bay, while they load their loot on a truck. _Shit._ Wally's either going to have to risk laser bullets or some miracle is going to have to happen.

  


The sound of an arrows cutting through the air makes him smile. He looks over towards the source. Both Roys are firing from behind shields of cars. “What took you!” Wally yells over to them. Clone Roy gives him a look that says that he's not amused and Wally has to hold back a laugh. His world or not, he's enjoying the familiarity of the situation.

  


The gorilla group are covering their exit as they load onto trucks. Wally needs to get over there. “Cover me!” He yells at the Roys, as he races after the trucks that had started moving. Speeding by, he notes that several gorillas had fallen with a strong polymer foam covering their forms. They were damn good archers. It filled Wally with pride.

  


'Four down, six to go,' Wally remarks to himself as he runs parallel to the lead truck with Ultra-Humanite at the wheel. Dodging attacks as he run wasn't new to him, so it wasn't terribly hard. But slipping up would have consequences so he's cautious. “Forgetting me?” Wally yells as he yanks a door open and throws the passenger gorilla out of the car. He hops in and grabs ahold of Ultra-Humanite, who snarls at him.

  


'Yeah, yeah,' Wally thinks. 'Time to go back to the Zoo – _uh-oh!'_ He'd forgotten about the other truck momentarily as it speed up to them. A laser bullet tore into his arm and he let go of Ultra-Humanite, who grabbed his head and whacked it on the dashboard which _ow!_ Hurt.

  


He vaguely sees a streak of lightning take care of the other truck through the pain. _Fuck._ He must have a concussion because he reaches out to grab Ultra-Humanite again and misses. A second time and he's grabbed him, pulling him out of the truck through the passenger side and onto the street. The two tumble as the truck decelerates without a driver.

  


Wally grumbles about being road kill after he stops rolling on the pavement. 'Man, my suit looks like I got dragged across the road.' Which is close enough, but he's still unhappy about it. Hearing a moan of pain and someone getting up, he spies his monkey friend getting up. Uh-uh. That wasn't going to fly.

  


Wally forces himself to get up, stumbling a little before he rights himself. As soon as he's good, he races over to the intelligent gorilla and quickly knocks him out with a good whack to his pressure point. Slightly dizzy again, he sits down hard on the pavement and eyes the unconscious criminal. This is not how he wanted to spend his day.

  


He hears sirens in the distance, catching up with the chase and three people walking towards him. He looks over to see Arsenal and Red Arrow. He's also slightly surprised to see the Flash, which is odd because he shouldn't be. Adrenaline is pumping through his veins and his pain is forgotten as the bitter feeling of fear surges up at Flash's presence.

  


Wally forces himself to remain outwardly calm. “Dude, you guys missed the fun!” He keeps his voice light. He doesn't have to see behind the masks, all three have their eyebrows raised in an 'are-you-sure' look. He grumbles a bit and stands up, edging more towards the two Roys than towards Flash, who's looking at him – okay, no, staring at him.

  


Wally can feel the Roys stepping up by his side in a protective gesture. He can just about feel their body heat and it eases some of the tension.

  


“You sure you don't need a hand this time?” The question from Flash startles him for a second. He hadn't been expecting it. Flash is keeping his distance from Wally. Batman must've mentioned something or maybe he was just really obvious the first time they met.

  


Wally shakes his head slowly. “No.” He hesitates for a second and then lets himself relax a little visibly. “But thanks.” He gets a smile as a response. It's awkward, at least it is to Wally for a few seconds before Flash asks what he can call him. Wally pauses. He can't tell him his real name. Not yet anyways. That is a whole can of worms that he is not ready to feed the fish.

  


“Bolt,” he finally says. “You can call me Bolt.” Like lightning bolt. He hopes the Roys don't call him out on bad hero naming. Flash nods, slowly. “Will you ever tell us who you are?” Wally tries not to bite his lower lip, a habit he'd developed when he got nervous.

  


“You don't have to tell us yet. We can wait until you're ready.” Wally examines Flash's body posture. Facial expressions won't do much with that cowl on. Flash seems genuinely ready to wait for Wally. Maybe it's just Wally but he feels like Flash is trusting him a little. It could just be the fact that they'd just stopped criminals together, but Flash seems less intimidating.

  


Wally nods again, watching as Flash turns away to talk to the police. Something's changed. Wally'd always known his Uncle Barry was a kind hearted soul, but after the Zoom fiasco Wally was sure that Barry would be more hostile towards unknown Speedsters.

  


His stomach growls in typical interrupting fashion, which makes both Roys chuckle. They slip their arms over his shoulders. “Let's get food.” Wally grins and rests his head on one of their shoulders briefly before they start walking back. They'll have to change before they can get food, maybe clean up on Wally's part, but food is worth it.

  


“So,” Clone Roy pipes up, “who wants to go to the zoo?” Wally and real Roy glare at clone Roy. “Right then, food.” Clone Roy just smirks evilly. He always did have a devious side to him. They were not going to the zoo anytime soon. Food comes first. It always tended to when you're a Speedster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any Wally-centric lovers, I've added a different fan fiction I'm working on on my list of Works. It's still incomplete, but I'm working on it.


	15. Indian Food & What Happened with REACH

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally goes back to the hotel to clean up while the Roys get food.  
> Or... the chapter in which Wally describes what happened after REACH.

While the Roys didn't need to clean up, Wally certainly did. Bits of rocks and dirt clung to him and were tangled in his short hair. He huffed unhappily, stuck going back to the hotel as the Roys went and picked up Indian. He understood that he couldn't go out in public like this, he really wanted food. At least they'd given him a pastry to get him back to the hotel.

Ugghhhh! But he was still so hungry as he zipped passed the security and into his hotel room. Wally mumbled about how unfair it was and how he should've punched Ultra-Humanite harder as he gathered his things for a shower. His body was still aching from the roll.

“I take it things went well.”

  
Wally spun around at the low voice. He would've jumped out of his skin if he wasn't tired and hungry. “Holy shit!” He yelped as he spotted Batman sitting on a chair. Batman chuckled under his breath, looking over Wally. Wally was suddenly a little self-conscious as he imagined what Batman saw – a boy half clad in his uniform, scrapped and dirty with bits of rock still in his hair. Definitely not his public look.

“Go get cleaned up, then I'll take a look at your injuries.” Batman hadn't moved towards him. Wally wasn't even sure Batman had moved at all. Unconsciously, Wally nodded and headed towards the shower to do as Batman said. He placed his uniform back inside the ring where it would be fixed (future tech awesomeness) and hopped into the shower.

The hot water felt so good on his aching body but burned like fire on his scraps and the arm he was shot in. The sound that fell from his lips was a cross between a pleasant moan and a pitiful whine. Quickly, well, as quick as he could given his situation, he washed his hair and body before hopping out.

He heard dual surprised cries from outside the bathroom door and smirked. At least Wally wasn't the only one who got punked. Finished, he walked back the room in his boxers. Batman would want to see the damage done, so there was no point in fully dressing. 'Besides,' Wally reminded himself, 'you're not going back out yet.'

“Nice sound Roy,” Wally told the pair, who looked at him, indignant. They eyed him. “Don't forget who has your food,” they gestured to five bags they carried and Wally was instantly the face of innocence. “Pleasee~” Wally begged, his eyes wide and teary. It was over-exaggerated but the Roys caved in. Wally had always been good at the puppy eyes.

“Sit first, then food.” Batman commanded as he moved slowly with a first aid box. It must've been his because it was better equipped than typical first aid kits. Wally's lower lip jutted out in a pout as he sat on the bed, stretching his legs and noticing the scrapes that were starting to heal.

It didn't take Batman long to disinfect and bandage his arm as well as any scrapes that he thought needed it. Wally secretly marveled at the gentle, delicate touches that Batman possessed whenever he touched Wally. The way the Roys were eyeing him with consideration was enough to let Wally know that they were thinking the same. Wally knew what Batman was doing, being so gentle. It was out of worry for Wally's own mental stability. Batman, Wally knew, most likely knew or suspected a great deal about why Wally was the way he was.

Damage, Wally also knew, was something that Batman was familiar with. Gotham was a city that was littered with crime and Batman helped to stop a good deal of it. If there was one thing Batman knew, it would be the trauma of an attack. 'Perhaps this is the way that Alfred treated Bruce when he was young,' Wally wondered as Batman finished up. “Done. You can eat now.”

That was all the permission he needed and he snatched a box out of one of the Roys hands and began speed eating. Wally tried to keep his mouth shut as he ate and not look so disgusting, but speed eating rarely looked graceful. It was definitely bad manners, but he was hungry and the food was good. He'd barely stopped to take a drink of water before powering through more boxes of food. He tried to pace himself to match up with how the Roys were eating, but it failed miserably.

He had finished his portion while the Roys were about halfway done with what they ordered. It wasn't unnatural, so Wally felt only a little guilty about it. His eyes fell to Batman as the Roys continued to eat. They were trading looks and glancing between Wally and Batman, trying to be secretive about it and not doing a good job of it.

“Are you okay?” It was a simple question but even Batman knew how stupid it was. Somehow the simplicity of it made Wally feel better. He was able to relax around Batman and it was visible to everyone who saw him. Wally smiled a little. He couldn't lie to them. They knew him to well, so he just came right out with it.

“I'm doing better.” It's not a lie. He's been able to smile and he didn't run screaming from Flash.

“Can you tell me what happened, Wally?” That's the question. That's what Wally's been waiting for. It's what he knows Batman has wanted to ask ever since he laid eyes on Wally. Inevitable as it is, he just doesn't want to relive what happened.

“Did it end with me?” Wally asks. He gets some blank looks until he clarifies. “The REACH invasion. Did it end with me – Kid Flash disappearing?” Batman nods, the Roys set aside their empty Indian boxes and stretch their legs on the hotel room floor to listen.

Wally closes his eyes as memories surface. “I remember the energy. We were so desperate to siphen off the energy before it could lead to destruction. My body was breaking down slowly from its condition before the invasion.” He keeps his eyes closed so he doesn't notice the pained looks from his friends.

“I was going to die anyways. If I was going to die anyways then it might as well be me. That's what I thought. So I siphened all the energy I could. It must've fed my speed. There was a bright light and I saw…” Wally trails off, a knot forming in his throat as he peddles passed that memory. “I closed my eyes for a moment and the next thing I knew I was… I was in the Speedforce.”

Wally swears he can almost hear bones and teeth grating from the tension that seems like it could squeeze the life out of them from the Roys and Batman.

“It was…. It was incredible. Incredible and so very terrifying.” Wally wants to forget what it was like. Days upon days. Years upon years. It felt like eternity. He remembers feeling his very existence fading into nothingness eternally. Forever on the brink of assimilation. It was like being beaten to the brink of death, but not being allowed to die. Yet there was a feeling of _loving_ that feeling. He had loved it. That horrifying darkness, he'd loved it.

“A-anyways,” he clears his throat as his stomach drops at the memory. “I somehow made it out. I remember falling. It felt like forever. The next thing I know I'm waking up on board the Watchtower. And I met – well, me.” He opens his eyes and looks at them, chuckling slightly at the memory. “I was older, sillier, and I was Flash. That was the moment that I realized where I was wasn't home.”

He goes on to tell them about how that dimension's Batman had told him about their previous encounter with another dimension's League that had called themselves the Justice Lords after they'd lost their Flash – their Wally. He told them about how he had been so exhausted that he spent a month recovering there and studying dimensional travel with Batman and Flash. It was actually kind of fun. He even helped them design a new communicator.

After two months, Wally had found a way to travel through dimensions. He had told them that he was determined to find his way home. The Justice League there had been kind and gentle to him, but he missed _his_ Justice League. He missed Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris. Whatever the cost, he was willing to look for them through dimensions, so that's what he went off to do.

“Including the first, I traveled through 15 dimensions. There were some where we didn't exist. The majority were dimensions were we did exist and out of those there were a good number where I disappeared. Any of those could've been my dimension. So I would stay in the ones where I, Kid Flash, disappeared to… research.”

“Research?” One of the Roys asked. Wally nodded. “You know, if my memories added up. The situation were I disappeared. There were actually a few where I'd been killed in action but nobody had found my body.” He swallowed bile at the memories of the two dimensions where he'd found his body, decaying, beaten, bloody.

“There were some that were like this. So similar. I couldn't be sure. I would have to stay, meet people, ask questions. It took time. Time I didn't want to waste. There was even one where I couldn't even tell it was different until...” Wally shudders, an action that the sharp eyes of those watching him caught.

“Until what, Wally?” Batman asks, his voice soft tinged with concern.

Wally shook himself, his throat oddly dry. He took a sip of his water and avoided eye contact.

“Wally.” Wally doesn't realize Batman had moved until he sees Batman, kneeling by his side on the floor. “Wally.” Batman's voice sounds odd. It's like his commanding voice except it's gentle and soothing. He raises his eyes, meeting – not Batman's eyes – but Bruce's. Batman's cowl is down and Bruce's face is out in the open. Even the Roys look a bit stunned as they try to school their expressions.

 

“We hurt you. What did we do? What happened?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Wally got Indian food (which I'm hungering for now).
> 
> Next chapter: Wally has flashback to bad times.


	16. A Flashback & Some Information on Dimensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman wants to know what their counterparts did to Wally.

“ _What happened?” -_ It's that phrase that sends Wally into an internal panic. His breath picks up and he shuts his eyes tightly as memories surface. Painful, fearful memories.

\- Flashback -

“ _Go fuck yourself. I didn't do anything.” He stifles a shout of pain as another finger is broken._

“ _What. Did. You. Do!?” Wally wants to laugh and spit in their face. He repeats his earlier suggestion. He bites his lip as his wrist gets broken._

“ _Tell me!” Green Arrow snarls at Wally as Batman watches from behind, his eyes practically blazing._

“ _Fuck you!” Wally's breath catches in his throat as another finger is broken. Fuck, he really wants to just pass out. The systematic breaking of his fingers and wrist and then the healing is wearing him out._

_Adrenaline is pulsing through his veins and his heart has frozen over for those that he once loved and adored. His eyes briefly look at Flash and then he feels like ripping every bit of happy memories they had together. He's just standing there, watching his nephew get beaten and tortured._

_Batman's eyes narrow as Wally tunes out Green Arrow as he punches Wally's jaw. Wally quirks an eyebrow in annoyance and disdain._

“ _Go to Hell.”_

_Batman grits his teeth and motions for Green Arrow and Flash to join him at the door. He mumbles some words and their eyes glance back at Wally, who honestly could care less about them at that moment. He's more than pleased to see them leave him alone in his cell._

_Someone slips a pile of energy bars into his cell for him to eat, but he's so tired and his body is aching with pain. He can almost hear the sounds of his muscles and bones knitting back together as he heals. His eyes gaze at the food for a moment before he turns his head, curling up in a small ball and letting the pain overtake him and knock him out._

\- Back to the Present -

Wally's shaking, his face pale, glistening with cold sweat. His voice is a whisper and breaks as he recounts the flashback through his tears. At one point, he slips into the memory and begs Batman for mercy, begs Green Arrow for mercy. He begs Flash to save him, crying and sobbing.

He's too far into his pain to realize the horrid silence of his companions. The Roys' faces are hard and their eyes blaze with anger. They know that it's not the same. This isn't the world where the Justice League had done such a thing to Wally. But they can't imagine any of them, no matter the dimension doing such a thing to him. How could they hurt him like that?

Batman is shocked. He knows of the existence of other dimensions from past experience. His heart feels like its breaking, hearing Wally beg for mercy. He feels such fury, but it's dampened by the overwhelming guilt that he could do such a thing. It wasn't him, he knows, but in some ways it was. It was his counterpart. He feels a murderous urge to race out of there, find a way to that son of a bitch and rip him limb from limb for hurting Wally.

It's the Roys who gather Wally in their arms and rub his back, stroking his hair and wiping his tears away. They speak in soft tones, telling Wally that safe and no one will hurt him. Batman doesn't make a move towards Wally. Instead he draws away, curling in on himself, trying to make himself appear smaller than he really is and less dangerous. He needs to do whatever he can to make Wally appear safe.

It takes a bit, but Wally finally calms down. They really don't like that look on him. His face is pale and his cheeks look sunken. If they hadn't seen Wally earlier, eating with the usual Speedster vigor and hear his jokes, they might have thought that he was on the brink of death right now. His body was a bit shaky and they privately worried about whether he could actually run right now if he needed to. They doubted it.

Clone Roy's eyebrows furrowed as he thought about something. It was a bit curious and perhaps odd. Maybe Wally would laugh at him. He'd laugh at himself. Still, he needed to ask. “Wally, you said this dimension is similar to yours. I know you've researched yourself as much as possible, but how old are you?”

Real Roy looked at clone Roy, confusion evident in his eyes. Wally's face scrunched up as he tried to make sense of the reasoning behind Roy's question. Batman, however, seemed to sit forward a bit, more intent on listening. Obviously he was following clone Roy's line of thought.

“Seventeen...” Wally's face lit up with recognition. He wanted to know why Wally looked so young. “Ahhh – you want to know why I look the same as when I was first starting out as Kid Flash.” Clone Roy nodded.

Wally shrugged, starting to pull himself together, reigning the leftover bits of his fear back under wraps. “I've been researching that too. Flash – First dimension Flash – helped me study my speed a bit after I got kicked there. Nice Zoom helped in another dimension. Then there was this one dimension where there was a different type of Speedster - “ He cut himself off, realizing that he was rambling and he was starting to Speed-speak.

He coughed a little, embarrassed to have slipped into his excited habit. “Anyways, it was something about dimensional radiation and how it over excites cells.” Wally hid an amused smile at the glazed look the Roys got when the sciency bit went over their heads. Bruce looked contemplative. He was kickass as Batman, but people often forgot that he was pretty smart in his own right.

Wally bopped both of the Roys' heads lightly. “Brains still intact?” He couldn't help but laugh as they scowled at him. It was pleasant when even Batman gave a little chuckle. Wally always did know how to get on the Roys' nerves and yet it never was in a bad way. It was just how they interacted.

There are still unanswered questions, Wally knows. They know. But just as they are about to ask more questions about Wally's time elsewhere, Batman's communicator beeps, a signal from the League incoming. Wally tries not to eavesdrop, but he can hear the report about Young Justice going to recon a facility that could be used by Cadmus.

Just the mention of Cadmus has the Roys sitting straighter, bodies tense. Ever since the whole kidnapping, cloning bit they have been more hostile to Cadmus. Whenever Cadmus comes up, they jump for a piece of the action in destroying Cadmus' plan. They say it's 'nothing personal' but Wally knows better, and after everything they did, Wally does nothing but cheer them on.

Their adversity towards Cadmus is the reason that Wally nudges clone Roy with his arm and jerks his head towards Batman, who's skillfully keeping track of the report and Wally and the Roys. “Go. It's okay.” It takes a moment for the meaning to dawn on the Roys, but when they do they catch his eyes, looking for admission. Wally nods, as he goes around grabbing the trash to through it away.

Batman and the Roys' eyes meet and he nods, understanding what they want to ask entirely. He always did happen to know more than he should. “Arsenal and Red Arrow will meet you there in an hour. Batman out.” There's a soft click, ending the communication and Batman's replaced his cowl sometime in between the end of the conversation and the report, but Wally's not sure when.

“Meet at Mount Justice in an hour.” The Roys get up, knowing it will take time to get there and prepare. Batman is getting up as well, preparing to head to the briefing as well. They look at Wally, hesitantly and Wally knows that they're having trouble deciding if leaving him is going to be okay. If Wally is going to be okay.

Their concern is touching, but Wally can handle himself. He raises an eyebrow at them, daring them to back off the recon mission now. They seem to know that Wally isn't going to give so they let it go. “Just take care of yourself. If you need anything, let us know. We'll be right there for you.” Wally's nodding as he sees them out the door (well – the Roys because Batman goes out the fire escape). The Roys give him a quick good-bye hug and they scuttle out after Batman.

It's sad to see them go, but Wally feels a bit more relaxed, although he's a bit tired. He lays on the bed for a little bit, thoughts floating up. Now what's he going to do? Watching TV is all well and good, but it does get boring. A grin stretches his mouth. Patrol.


	17. Milkshakes & Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally decides he really wants one of the best milkshakes in the world, which means he has to go to an old haunt and maybe run into an old friend.

Patrol. Ha! He should've stayed in bed. Had he stayed in bed, he wouldn't have felt the desire to go see Star City. Honestly, it was more of a desire for the small diner that Roy, Dick, and he had eaten at. They had the best milkshakes. Handmade. Wally had time and he felt that he owed himself a little pick me up. Why he couldn't have just gotten ice cream from a local place in Central City only occurred to him after to ask.

Seeing Batman and the Roys off had left him with the idea to patrol. And patrol he did. His suit had since regenerated to its perfect condition – future tech – so he was able to just slip it back on and head out for patrol. Fortunately as a Speedster, patrol never takes too long, especially if it's just a quick run about the city. So Wally had spent a good minute or two check about the state of the city and how the rubble from the fight was being cleaned up. It was going well, he had observed.

And then the craving had started for a milkshake from that little diner in Star. God, that was the kicker. He'd wanted to go see Star City. It was like a second home to him after all. So far, he'd refrained from going there, but that milkshake… A Speedster can only fight his cravings for food for so long. He'd heaved a sigh, raced back to get his pack with a spare change of clothes and then he was off.

He didn't want to attract too much attention. Signs of a Speedster guest in the city were being noticed, what with the close friendship that archers and Speedsters had. So before he entered the city, he stopped and changed into civvies. It was about 3ish so there wasn't such a terrible rush and the diner wasn't busy. It was a welcome sight. And his mouth was already watering at the prospect of one of their delicious milkshakes.

Wally slipped into a booth and ordered, casually. If anyone asked about him being alone, he had a story. It was fail proof. Which was why he didn't feel nervous, sitting there as he waited on his milkshake. The waitress was extremely kind and even gave him a basket of fries (fries and milkshakes together forever love).

Wally almost tears up at the sight of his beloved chocolate banana milkshake. His first sip makes him moan happily. God, they're good. He makes a happy sound as he dips a couple fries into the milkshake and bites into them. He's so lost in his delightful pleasure that he almost misses a neighboring chuckle.

“That good, aren't they?” Wally blinks, head swiveling to find the speaker. He almost blanches as he realizes he's looking at Dick Grayson, his old friend, brother, and fellow hero known as Nightwing. Dick doesn't seem to notice his sudden discomfort and instead motions to Wally's food.

“Your first time here?” Wally swallows the panic rising in his throat and shakes his head, mutely. “Ah, I'm guessing you got addicted to the best milkshakes anywhere, huh?” Dick smiles at Wally and he looks pleased when Wally gives him a small smile in return.

“All alone?” Wally nods again, opting for silence. Dick frowns, wondering why a young boy is all on his own. Wally's obvious silence doesn't help his case either. It's curious for a young boy to be all on his own, especially on a school day. “School?” Wally shakes his head. Dick's eyebrow quirks up in question but he doesn't say anything.

Dick motions for Wally to keep eating, which he does, as Dick continues to talk. “I had a friend who looked a bit like you. He was older though.” Dick chuckles at a past memory. “Loved the milkshakes here too.” Wally can see the emotions in Dick's eyes. He's enjoying the memories, but there's something deeply sad and broken in his eyes. It makes Wally's heart ache.

Wally's too busy eating and observing Dick as he talks that he doesn't realize he's finished his milkshake until he hears the sound of sucking air through a straw. “That was fast,” Dick remarks with a smile on his face. It makes Wally's cheeks redden. It's not unusual for Speedsters, but to Dick he's just a regular guy.

“Hey, can we have another milkshake and basket of fries for my young friend?” Dick calls to the waitress from his bar stool across from Wally's booth. He smiles back at Wally as the waitress goes to get more food for Wally. “You seem hungry. Plus you look like you were enjoying them so much.” Wally nods, slowly. Dick doesn't seem bothered by the lack of words from Wally, so he lets it slide.

“Well, I'd better go. Enjoy your milkshake and fries,” Dick tells Wally as he murmurs to the waitress that he'll pay for both of their meals. Wally wants to refuse but he's still cautious and he's afraid that if he opens his mouth, even once, he'll spill everything to Dick. Still… He does want to thank Dick. Before Dick turns to leave, Wally grabs his coat sleeve and tugs on it lightly, enough to get Dick's attention. Once he has it, he motions 'thank you' as he'd learned to sign before. It makes Dick grin and he tells him that it's 'no problem.'

Meeting Dick, talking to him – well, listening to him, makes Wally feel a bit stronger. Wally would be lying if he said he hadn't been worried about the possibility of a panic attack. One of his last experiences with Dick had been not so pleasant. Sure, he'd felt a thread of fear and erred on the side of caution when interacting with him, but as far as things went, that had gone quite well.

Wally toyed with the idea of meeting Dick, really meeting him, as he ate his second helping. After ten minutes of thinking, he finished his meal and thanked the waitress again before he left. Now what would he do? He still had quite a bit of time before dinnertime. Oh boy. He was waiting on dinnertime for the food. If that was all he was looking forward to, he needed to get a hobby.

He could always go back to researching, but really he just wanted a day to play. To be free from the horrible memories and thoughts of fear. He shrugged off the thoughts and just started walking through the city. Star City hadn't changed from what he remembered. At least this Star City wasn't monochrome. That had been a weird world. Kind of resembled a nightmare, which he really didn't want to remember. Ever.

Crime seemed limited from what Wally saw. The archer heroes must have been doing well lately. He made a beeline for the darker parts of the city to see what they looked like. They were more crime ridden than other parts of the city, but they weren't as bad as taking a stroll through Gotham. He nodded, 'Not as bad as Gotham.'

He ducked into an abandoned building and changed into his uniform. If he was going to keep walking around this dirty area, he was going to make sure that if he needs to move he's free to move. Wally grinned a little bit before he raced off. Foot after foot, he enjoyed the rush of the speed. This was what he loved.

A shout got his attention. Shouting was normal for this part of the city, Wally knew that. But when that shout called for help is when Wally ran straight for it. He slowed down as he came across an abandoned building. Running into traps was something Wally was not ready to do. He was going to take it easy. Just like Batman did.

His eyes flicked back and forth, checking for anyone set to jump him. Light on his feet, he usually was not. This time, he was. A warehouse. Not just any old abandoned building. He groaned internally. Warehouses that are abandoned always have bodies.

Wally spotted several men in black around the outside. He needed to get closer. Luckily he was no longer red and yellow and bright like the Sun. Once the men turned their eyes, he raced into the warehouse, blowing passed the guards and settling himself in a dark spot behind several crates and barrels.

This was starting to look like a lot more than the usual crime in Star City. A lot more. He glanced at the scene briefly. A doctor. More armed men. People who looked like soldiers in black… A crying women in a lab coat. He gritted his teeth as he saw the last important fact. Shit.

Radioactive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how's everyone liking it so far?
> 
> Looks like Wally's going to need some back-up for the next chapter.


	18. Rodeo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally's stumbled onto a Cadmus operation and this time he gets back-up!

Wally groaned. Radioactive material meant he'd have to be extra careful. It also meant that he couldn't go at it alone. He whined at his own logic, but he knew that calling for help was the most important thing to do. Lives were not worth any loss.

His mental grumblings about the situation were interrupted when he heard a voice mention 'Cadmus', as if it couldn't get any worse. Wally had half a mind to just bang his head on the crates. Weren't the Team and the Roys supposed to be taking care of Cadmus shit right now? If they weren't with Wally, then where were they? Does that mean Cadmus had another plan in place elsewhere?

“Make sure you're careful with the explosives,” a voice commanded. “Rest assured that once all the locations have reported in, the plan will be set in motion.” 'The plan'? Yeah, Wally doesn't like the sound of that. Nu-uh. No way. Whenever a bad guy mentions a 'plan' that's a surefire clue that shit is about to go down and Wally isn't going to let his reservations about meeting past friends get in the way of kicking bad guy butt.

He clicks on his communicator. “Bats,” he hisses softly into it. “Wally?” Wally's eyes flick back and forth, making sure that he's kept hidden. “Got some trouble here. I'm going to need back-up.” Batman doesn't miss a beat on the other end. “What's the situation?” 

“I'm at a warehouse in Star City with a bunch of Cadmus soldiers. They've got some radioactive material. And Bats? They mentioned other locations.” It's silent for a moment and then Batman's low voice responds back. “Green Arrow and Nightwing are in the area. I'll contact them and give them your location. Wait for them to arrive,” Batman commands.

Wally nods, even though he knows Batman can't see him. “Wally...” Batman's voice softens despite the circumstances. “Will you be okay?” It's such an inoccent question and Wally can hear the raw concern for his safety. It makes Wally smile, tension easing away a little. “This is what heroes do.” Batman grunts in agreement.

“ETA of back-up 10 minutes.”

“Got it, Bats.” Wally says, keeping his eye out for trouble. “Take care.” Batman tells him before the line clicks dead. Wally raises an eyebrow. 'Awe, Bats is worried about me,' he thinks coyly.

Now all he has to do is wait on back-up and they can wrap this mess up. He takes his fear, his panic, his memories and shoves them back. He's not sure how he'll handle being around Green Arrow and Nightwing, Green Arrow especially, but he's going to prioritize. Bad guys first. Panic last.

And he would've waited. Until he hears a thud that sounds suspiciously like a body hitting the floor. With a quick check, he notes that the woman has been knocked out. She's got a bump on the head, but she's not dead, which is good. Whoever she is, a soldier looks fit to finish her off with a gun and that – that is the one thing he won't hold back on. He hears the shot, but he's already in motion, plucking the bullet out of thin air.

It's a moment, but he has to slow down in order to grab the woman and as soon as he gets her, he's surrounded. “Hey guys, you know this could be the second time we've met you know? Went to Cadmus once. The whole cloning Supes thing and whatnot. Anyone there? Wanna reminence?” His mouth is running off the ringer, but that's normal for him.

He's not sure what he expected. Well, it was expected when everyone pointed their weapons at the hero and the woman he carried. “Guess not.” Wally's itching to Flash out, but the proximity of the radioactive material makes him think twice. Any external force would be bad.

“A Speedster, eh?” Wally raises his eyebrow as a larger, muscled man with a skin head and a commanding air stepped forward. “You mean it's not obvious?” Wally probably should learn when to be quiet in the face of danger. It's probably a habit he'll never be able to kick. Even with the dark glint in the man's eyes, Wally knows he won't be backing down anytime soon.

The man growled almost audibly. 'Bet he's part chipmunk,' Wally snickered to himself unable to help it. God, those quips were going to get him killed one day. Well, technically they already had, but semantics. The man stepped forward, a broad hunting knife in his hands. “Young, aren't you?” He leaned in and Wally could smell the sickening scent of blood and cigars on him.

Wally twitched, instincts begging to run but he froze hearing the clicks of guns at the ready. “Ah- ah- ahh! If you value that woman's life I wouldn't move.” The man brought the blade to rest on Wally's cheek. While it would've made others flinch, Wally was not that damsel in distress type. “I bet Cadmus would love to get its hands on a Speedster, especially one so.. young and experienced.” Wally's body stiffened. Yeah, that wasn't going to add up and was it that obvious?

“How about no.” A voice called from the ramp up above. As soon as Wally heard the ever nostalgic twang of a bow and an arrow's slice through the air, Wally ducked. He ignored the bite of the knife in his cheek as wind-dings sliced through the air, hitting the weapons from soldiers' hands. He didn't have to see that Green Arrow and Nightwing had finally arrived.

Adrenaline beat heavy inside his body as Green Arrow and Nightwing fought their way through the soldiers, growing closer to Wally. It made him want to tremble, maybe even cry and run away to hide, but he forced himself to focus on protecting the woman in his arms. As soon as he saw a way out, he sped to a safe place to leave her before rushing back into the fray.

Green Arrow and Nightwing were as kickass as ever. It made Wally oddly happy and scared at the same time. A glint of metal caught his eyes from the shadows and he found the man with the knife. He was just standing there, facing Wally and if that wasn't creepy enough, he smiled at him. He fucking smiled. That was freaky. It really grinds his gears.

He wants this taken care of now before that creep does anything more to freak him out. Wally throws his head towards Nightwing. “Wing! Rodeo!” He can practically see the widened eyes behind Nightwing's domino mask. “Wha?” Wally rolls his eyes. Getting slow, Nightwing is, he reckons. “Rodeo!” Wally gestures at the situation.

It takes Nightwing a minute, but Wally can tell when he finally gets it because his mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. He'll laugh at it later. When Nightwing takes out his line and shoots it towards Wally, it makes him grin. It's just like old times. Wally grabs the hook and takes off. He weaves through the mess of soldiers until they are all wrapped up.

“Well, that works too,” he hears Green Arrow mutter with a bit of jealousy. For a second… Wally forgets himself and pointedly sticks his tongue out at Green Arrow. It shocks him. It shocks them. For a second, they stare at him and he, at them. “Shit,” he curses under his breath as his joints grow heavy with instinctual fear.

“Wa-” Whatever Nightwing was going to say gets cut off when a big, muscled arm wraps itself around Wally's neck. “Fuck,” Wally spits out as the very knife that had cut his cheek earlier returns to it. “Not so fast now, are you?” The man murmurs in his hear.

Nightwing and Green Arrow stand, tense and ready to attack at a moment's notice. “Let him go.” Nightwing commands. His voice is hard and cold, but there's something shaky about it that Wally can't quite put his finger on. Well, he could if there wasn't an arm around his neck and a knife that's reacquainting itself with his cheek. 

The moment the man laughs is the moment that Wally realizes there's no out. They're close to the radioactive material and that – that is not good. There are so many ways this could end.. explosively. That's when Wally grabs the arm around him with one hand and the hand with the knife in the other and twists. The knife goes up to cut a long thin stripe up his cheek and temple, cutting through his cowl. He manages to twist himself out of the arm with only fracturing his wrist from the movement.

The instant he's free, Nightwing leaps forward with his eskrimas and there's a loud whack as he his the man's head solidly. It's satisfying to see him hit the ground with a thud, unconscious. Wally laughs a little bit and he can see Nightwing grin in return. Green Arrow makes to steady Wally as he stumbles, unsteady on his feet.

It's a brush of their skin, but it's enough that Wally jerks away from Green Arrow. Green Arrow's brows furrow in confusion. It makes Wally cringe. “Yeah, sorry, no touching,” Wally tells the two heroes. He can feel Nightwing's eyes running over him. Maybe he's analyzing or something. Wally can't tell.

“Your hair,” Nightwing says, which what? What's wrong with Wally's hair? It's perfectly – not hidden in his cowl anymore, he feels with his good hand. Whoops. Wally looks at Nightwing, raising an eyebrow. “Rodeo, huh?” Nightwing grins at him, knowingly. Green Arrow is just standing there looking like he's got no idea what's going on.

Wally shrugs. “Rodeo,” he agrees.

“You really are him,” Nightwing says, his voice full of oddly out of control emotion. “You really are Wally.” The only sounds that fill the warehouse are the sounds of the distant sirens and the moans of the defeated soldiers. Oh. And the gasp of shock from Green Arrow. 'Well, this is going to be fun.'


	19. Where We Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally can't run forever and Nightwing finding out his identity with Green Arrow present leads him to suggest a meet.

They stood there, staring at each other in an awkward silence. Honestly, Wally wasn't sure what to do now, but it had to begin somewhere. He was just about to speak when Green Arrow took a step towards him, eyes searching for answers to his confusion. Ghost pain in his fingers made him shiver and flinch away from Green Arrow.

Green Arrow froze at Wally's reaction. He wasn't a genius, but he saw his fair share of trauma. When Wally's eyes widened in shock at his own actions, it was confirmed for him. Something about Green Arrow was scaring him. He wasn't cool with that. He quickly backed up a few paces, followed by Nightwing, just in case.

Wally coughed to cover his guilt. “Look, I know we're going to have to talk about this, but maybe not right now.” He put a stop to their growing objections with a gesture towards the defeated soldiers. “The police are going to want a statement and I… I think I'm going to need a… safer place to answer your questions.”

For whatever reason, the demand for answers at that moment didn't come. Nightwing and Green Arrow seemed fine with waiting. It was a relief to him that this Green Arrow wasn't about to torture him for questions. Quite frankly it made him want to tell him just how awesome he was as a Green Arrow and to never change.

Wally shuffled his feet to cover his anxiety. He could feel the piercing gaze of his old friend and pseudo-uncle. “It's okay, Wally.” His head shot up to look at Nightwing who was smiling slightly, if not a bit tense. “Just name the time and place.”

Wally's brows furrowed in confusion. This was… unexpected. Nightwing was actually letting this go. Maybe he was in another dimension. Nightwing was not known for letting things go. “Why?” Wally blurted out. He was just dying to know why Nightwing wasn't throwing himself at Wally and shaking the living daylights out of him (and possibly yelling) like the Roys had.

“Because it's you,” Nightwing said like it answered everything. Wally's mouth dropped open. What the heck kind of answer was that? Wally had no idea. Green Arrow seemed to have an idea, even if his face was a bit more pensive than Wally thought was healthy.

Wally blinked as he heard sirens and cars screech to a stop outside the warehouse. He opened his mouth, but stopped as he remembered the woman. He flashed out, picked her up and deposited her in an ambulance. She'd be well cared for there.

It had only been an instant, so it appeared Wally had barely moved. “Tomorrow night, 6pm at the Rogues' bar in Central.” If his choice place of meeting to discuss… well, to discuss – surprised them, they didn't show it. Instead Nightwing nodded.

Wally wanted to say something, anything to make the pain in their eyes go away, but he knew that if he tried he'd do more harm than good. Nightwing seemed to understand that, for his part. He hadn't made a move towards him. Wally inclined his head slightly and turned around, ready to flash out for good when a question stopped him.

“Just… tell me one thing,” Wally turned his head to see Nightwing, having taken a step forward, look at him with a sort of concerned intensity. “Are you okay?”

Was he 'okay'? Shit, how could he answer that question when the thought of getting within ten feet of Green Arrow made his throat close up and had his limbs feeling wobbly and achy? When the image of the Watchtower made him want to vibrate his molecules into the ground for safety? When he felt so… broken inside….

He simply smiled and answered, “I'm better than before” and he raced out, leaving behind the two familiar heroes. It felt good to see the creepy knife man on the floor with a few arrows in his shoulder and thigh on his way.

Arriving back at his hotel, he shrugged off and replaced his uniform in the ring before he dragged himself into the shower. It was one of his methods of unwinding after a long day. The hot water running over his small form made him sigh, happily. The memories, the fear, the uncertainty faded away with the grime he'd picked up while he was out.

When he was done, a thought unfolded, a simple longing to call the Roys and see if they could come back. He didn't want to be alone right now. He wanted their company. If he was going to tell Nightwing and Green Arrow – Dick and Ollie, about his time “abroad” he was going to want some back-up from people he knew wouldn't hurt him. Not that Dick and Ollie would. They weren't the same as the Others. But… then there were the Rogues.

Oh God, he hadn't cleared this with Len. Crap. Wally needed to let them know. He looked at the bed, longingly. He just wanted to crawl into the covers with four or five pizzas and watch TV. He groaned and looked at the ring. Did Bolt really need to go back out?

It took about 2 seconds for Wally to get into a lengthy debate with himself. By the end of the debate, he was already popping his uniform out from the ring (which it hadn't had time to reform to its perfect state, so it was a bit….worn looking). He grimaced when he caught his reflection in the mirror. There were tears that hadn't been repaired and the cut from his cheek up matched with the one in his cowl. So, he was going to be going to the Rogues' bar looking like he just lost a fight.

7PM  
Wally stopped outside of the bar, hearing the clanks of glasses and the familiar voices yelling at each other. He chuckled when he heard Sam yelling about how he wasn't a target. It was even more funny when James yelled back that Sam shouldn't wear red if he didn't want to cosplay like one.

Instead of racing in, this time he casually slid in. Without the wind, no one seemed to notice him at first. It was fine with him. He could stand there and watch this criminal family drama forever. The way they interacted made him jealous at times. He didn't have the best relationship with his own family and he knew they didn't either, but they'd pulled together to make one weird dysfunctional family. It made him smile every time.

It was when he slid up to the bar and lightly nudged Mick when they noticed him. “Son of a bitch!?” Mick looked visibly startled and it made him laugh a bit. “The hell, Baby Flash!?” Wally just shrugged and grinned.

“Baby Flash!” Wally nearly fell off the bar stool when James glomped him. “Shit, James!” Mick grabbed them both to keep them steady.

“James, give the kid some air,” Len told James, delicately prying James from Wally. James pouted but he did was Len told him to, winking at Wally as he went. “So what happened this time?” Len gestured to Wally. He winced. “Did you lose,” Mick asked. At least Wally could grin and shake his head to answer that question. “Like Hell.” Mick grinned in return. He always did find it amusing when Wally cussed.

Len cleared his throat, body language demanding an answer to his question. “Cadmus,” Wally answered Len. 'Cadmus' was a general answer, extremely so. Being criminals themselves, they knew things about Cadmus that the general public didn't have access to normally. That was why there was a collective wince throughout the Rogues' bar.

“Yeah… look, I… Can I ask a favor?” Despite knowing that showing hesitance and anxiety were a bad idea in the presence of Captain Cold, he couldn't make himself appear brave. Honestly, he felt like all the bravery was quivering inside of him behind chains. When Len nodded, Wally began to tell Len about meeting Green Arrow and Nightwing the next night there. He didn't have to explain about wanting to meet with them at the Rogues' bar, at least not to Len. The way Len's eyes glinted, he knew Len could tell there were bad memories from other dimensions involving possibly both of those heroes.

After explaining, Len agreed that Wally had done well to suggest the meet there. Sure, no one wanted heroes on their turf, especially not criminals, but at least there they would have home field advantage. They could take precautions. And they would be there to back-up their Baby Flash no matter who came after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Revealing what happened to Nightwing and Green Arrow.
> 
> How do you think that's going to go?


	20. A Grim Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Green Arrow and Nightwing sit down with Wally, surrounded by Rogues, to find answers. But are these answers something the two heroes can handle?

The following day was uneventful. Wally had subsequently chosen to eat delicious food and patrol, skirting away from Flash if he got too close. Sure, there were times when they intersected, but overall it seemed like Flash was letting Wally go about his business without interference. Kid Flash was silent and seemed to glare at him each time they ran across each other, but Wally just shrugged it off.

Honestly, Wally was kind of dreading meeting with Dick and Oliver in their 'business attire'. Despite the Speedster habit of showing up late, worrying had Wally arriving half an hour early outside of the bar. He paced back and forth in front of the bar for about half an hour Speedster time (which was way longer than normal people) until Len noticed him and dragged him inside stating that 'it would do no good to worry alone'.

Wally could feel the intense gazes of the Rogues as he sat at a table in the bar, bouncing his leg up and down nervously. “Chill, kid. Nothing's going to happen,” Len told him. His mouth twitched in a small smile as he recognized Cold's frosty humor. God, now even he was doing it. Wally snorted with laughter.

“There, that's better,” Len noted, the rest of the Rogues looking relieved to see their Baby Flash relax a bit.

Their efforts seemed to disappear when Green Arrow and Nightwing walked into the bar, putting an end to any conversations that had been going on. All eyes were on the heroes, studying them with caution. “Weapons at the door,” Mick grunted at the heroes, who exchanged looks before depositing their weapons at the entrance.

Wally mentally scoffed. There was no way either side was going to remain unarmed. Neither trusted the other and he knew for a fact that Green Arrow and Nightwing always had little weapons hidden throughout their costumes. They were like dangerous 'now-you're-alive-now-you're-not' magicians or something the way they always seemed to pull sharp or exploding objects out of thin air. It made him shudder.

When they turned to look in Wally's direction and made as if to approach him, Wally glared at them. “Uh-uh. All of them, please.” Although he was trying to maintain an air of cold confidence, he felt like he slipped up when he saw the two heroes pause and eye each other with concern. They took a deep breath and continued to empty their outfits of artillery. The very amount of weapons made the Rogues lean forward with interest, perhaps in taking some for themselves.

The Rogues had all dressed in their gear, but had 'left' their weapons behind, although Wally was certain that they were hidden in various, easy to reach places throughout the bar. Unarmed or not, they weren't taking any chances with it came to heroes and, it made Wally blush a bit, they weren't going to leave him without any protection. He should've scolded them when he saw Mick's fire gun on a seat hidden under his coat, but it made him feel warm and fuzzy that they were so protective of him. It was a nice feeling after being alone for so long.

Wally turned his attention to Green Arrow and Nightwing as they sat at the table opposite him. Meeting Green Arrow's eyes had Wally's body clenching with the desire to run away and tremble. When a cold hand gently squeezed his, he noticed Captain Cold sitting beside him, quietly supporting him. Len tilted his head a little and the rest of the Rogues went back to the conversations they had been having before the arrival of their adversaries, but one could see that they kept one eye on the table of interest.

“W- Bolt,” Nightwing corrected himself, though Wally was sure that by now the Rogues knew his name. He hadn't been as careful as his present friend had with his identity. The Rogues and the Flash trio may have had their issues on screen but off-screen Wally and the Rogues were as close as family. If Wally had let hints of his identity slip, the Rogues had taken note and let it be. But he wasn't going to correct Nightwing, it would only get them in trouble.

“How are you...” Nightwing's voice trailed off until Wally picked up his question. “Alive?” Nightwing nodded. Wally forced himself to ignore any fear he had and began to tell them what he'd told the Roys and Batman, about how the energy he'd siphoned had enhanced his speed and dragged him into the Speedforce before he had been thrust into another dimension.

“So, you were Flash in that dimension?” Green Arrow asks, trying to keep his tone light. He always was similar to the Speedsters in his own right. Trying to lighten the atmosphere when it was needed. Wally's lips quirked in a smile. “Yup! Founding member of the Justice League.” Nightwing grins and says “sweet!”

Wally licks his lips when Nightwing asks about what happened in his travels. It makes Wally squeeze Cold's hand a little for reassurance, because he knows that what Nightwing is really asking is what happened to make him so afraid of heroes. Of course Nightwing would pick up on all the social cues. His trembling body and bitterness towards heroes. The fact that he hadn't approached his friends and family. The fact that Batman is protecting him from the heroes. How Wally didn't speak to Nighwing at the diner.

Wally actually doesn't want to tell them. Every time he tells someone, he feels like he's reliving all the pain and torture. Like he's being betrayed each and every single time. But a guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach that he gets when Nightwing's cheek twitches when he gets really upset.

Leaning against Cold, who wraps an arm around Wally, he murmurs without emotion, “You tortured me.” It's three words that seem to resound throughout the bar, the eavesdropping Rogues becoming still and silent. He can practically see the twitch in Cold's jaw that happens when he's angry. Cold rests his cheek on Wally's head, causing him to shiver, relaxing a bit.

It's the creak of the wooden arm rests that brings his attention back to the two heroes, who are staring at him in open mouthed shock. Oh, crap. Wally said 'you'. Shit. That's not what he meant. It is, but it isn't and he should really think before he speaks.

“No, wait – I mean, not you, but Other you.” Wally rambles, trying to rectify his mistake. “You wouldn't – I mean, you didn't and it wasn't you. I didn't mean you you I meant Other you and gosh, that's my bad –“ Nightwing and Green Arrow's jaws are clenched with tension, but they wave off Wally's complicated apology.

“It's okay, Wa- Bolt, just please, what happened?”

Wally bites his lower lip anxiously. “Well, there was this one dimension, like this one. I mean, I was young and everything looked the same. Everyone was the same. I thought – I thought I was home,” he takes a shaky breath, fighting off the desire to cry as he remembered how he had been so happy only to have everything break his heart.

“Things – there… Something happened. I'm still not too sure on what, but… You were… The team was affected by some energy and caused you all to go bonkers” he tries to make it seem less of a big deal. “Everyone except me - and you all just went nuts. And… I was the only one who didn't… So the League.. they just…” Wally shivers and snuggles closer to Cold.

“They assumed you had something to do with it,” Nightwing finished for Wally, who nodded.

“So… we tortured you?” Green Arrow looked a bit… well, green. More green than normal.

Wally forced himself to look at Green Arrow and emotionlessly stated, “You broke my fingers and my wrist when you were.. 'questioning' me.” Absently, Wally flexed his fingers and rotated his wrist, reassuring himself that the phantom pain was only from bad memories and he wasn't really still injured. “-- Oh _God._ ”

Green Arrow stumbled up, quickly and made his way to the bar, grabbing a beer and draining it speedily. Cold raised one eyebrow, possibly amused at the reaction, but Wally could tell that he and the rest of the Rogues were upset at having to hear what Wally went through at the hands of people he believed were his friends and family. Nightwing looked a little bit… broken, like the first time he'd heard Wally's speed was killing him.

Green Arrow set a bottle of beer in front of Nightwing and sat back down with a second one for himself. Wally watched as Nightwing frowned at his beer for a moment before taking a big gulp of it. “Did Batman help?”

Wally winced. He didn't want to have to tell Nightwing what his Other mentor did or didn't do, but he wanted to know. Wally closed his eyes. “He drugged me to try and get me to 'confess',” Wally ground out, not looking at Nightwing. He could hear the clink of the beer bottle when Nightwing took another few gulps. It took a lot of strong drugs to affect a Speedster and a lot of those drugs would make them feel like shit. It was a torture all on its own.

“Flash, what about Flash?” That was the question that even the Rogues wanted to know. They were sitting up a little straighter and leaning their heads towards the table. Wally just sighed and looked at each of them in turn. “He watched,” Wally shakily told them, tears forming in his eyes. He brushed them away with frustration.

“They all just fucking w _ atched _ .” Wally's words spilled out, unguided. “Do you know how long a minute is to a Speedster?” No one answered. “ Too fucking long. They tortured me for days in Speedster time. They beat me, broke my bones, drugged me, watched me cry and bleed and  _ no one helped me. No one believed me. _ ” This time he didn't bother to wipe his eyes as tears streaked down his cheeks.

“I was so tired and I just wanted it all to end. When I stopped eating I  _ prayed _ I would hurry up and die. There was nothing for me. Nothing. Until –“ Wally paused in his rant and looked thoughtful as he remembered something.

“Until one day something changed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is the 'something that changed'?
> 
> Author's note: Ironically, I was listening to Christmas music while I was writing this. I have no idea if I messed up the mood or not.


	21. Cold Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len learns what changed and it stuns him.

Len's been sitting there listening to the kid talk and with every painful detail, he just wants to ice the heroes in front of him. He's got way too much anger and frustration built up. He needs to feel like he's not powerless.

_Fuck_. The shit this kid went through. Len isn't a genius and he honestly can't understand all the details of traveling through dimensions, but he knows the feeling of betrayal. It's a cold knife that just stabs you through the heart and twists and twists until you can't bare it anymore.

Len's been betrayed. He knows betrayal well, having been betrayed on jobs before. His own father betrayed him when he decided that being a fuck up was better than being an actual parent. It had hurt like the dickens.

Still, with the way their family lives had become so shitty, he hadn't been surprised when his father had fucked shit up and gotten himself thrown in jail. At least there he wouldn't be able to hit them anymore. It had frustrated Len, because Len had been building up a plan to knock off that bastard since the first time he hit him.

Len shook himself from memories of the times he'd been betrayed himself. He didn't need to be thinking about those things. Certainly not now. Not when the kid needed him. Not when Wally was the one hurting. Yes, he knew Baby Flash's name. It wasn't that hard when the kid had been so open with them, so friendly. It had irritated him to no end at first.

He'd been tempted to kidnap the boy in his civilian life just to teach him a lesson about trusting others. The kid was too naive for Len's taste. Too trusting of Len and the rest of the Rogues. Len knew he wasn't the only one who'd found out his identity and that some of the other Rogues felt just the same about the young hero being too trusting.

But those feelings had faded over time. Sure, he was still irritated that Wally was just too damn trusting, but it became something that he felt fond of. He knew that Wally had been through a hard time after being separated from his parents – he'd looked the kid up when he first found out his name, he wasn't stupid – but there he was after all that pain and heartache still smiling. He was gentle and kind to the band of thieves.

There were days when the kid would come to the bar just to play darts with James or to ask Sam and Hartley some questions about homework or have some odd conversation. It was suspicious at first, but the kid just plowed through their suspicions and kept right at what he was doing. Hell, most of the Rogues were his friends before they knew they were being befriended.

Mick took to the Speedster too. The first time he asked Mick about how to make a good fire for a camping trip, Mick had been over the moon. Before anyone could say anything else, Mick was leading Wally out back to the alley where he pulled together trash and demonstrated what the best way to start a fire was, how to control it, when to feed it… It was actually a little bit… heart warming, if Len was honest.

Of course Len had been the last one to fall for the hyperactive kid's charms, but he had to admit when he was asked about how to best identify a system's security, find the weaknesses and subsequently break into a place, he was hooked. The kid had listened with an avid interest that Len had assumed was reserved for two things: Flash. And food. Yet, there he was receiving the same attentiveness that fell upon the most important things to the Speedster. It had ground his gears at first when he realized that he'd been charmed, but he let it slide when he was fixed with a brilliant smile.

That's why, seeing the boy tremble by his side as he told the two heroes in front of them about all the horrible things that they'd done to him – as _torture_ – made him seethe inside and at the same time, broke his heart. Although not normally a tactile person, Len couldn't resist squeezing the boy's hand and dragging him against him and leaning his cheek on the boy's head. He kept one eye on the boy and the other on the heroes, daring them to raise one finger out of line. Despite knowing that all this torture had taken place under the care of another dimension, he wouldn't mind taking his frustration out on the Others' counterparts in front of him.

“I was so tired and I just wanted it all to end. When I stopped eating I _prayed_ I would hurry up and die. There was nothing for me. Nothing. Until –“ the kid paused and his posture seemed to change a little beneath Len's touch. His eyes glazed off as if he was remembering something.

“Until one day something changed,” he stated, a bit of something like awe in his voice.

“What changed?” Len couldn't help but speak up before the heroes did. The very want for one's own death was a powerful thing and Len highly doubted that the Other heroes would allow him to simply walk out without any incident. Yet, he had escaped somehow because here he was, in Len's arms.

Wally looked at Len, a glint of a green eye caught his own. He smiled at Len faintly and said the last three words that he had ever expected to hear as an answer. “I heard you.” Len could only blink, his mind wasn't processing the words. He couldn't comprehend the thought that the kid – that Wally, their Baby Flash, had heard him, or was it Other him?

“You heard me?” Len repeated slowly, trying to make sense of it and failing. Even Nightwing and Green Arrow were visibly confused by Wally's words. Wally just nodded.

“Yeah… I can't tell you why it happened, just that it did. I –“ Wally paused to clear his throat anxiously. “I hadn't eaten in a long time and my body was falling apart on me. I thought I was going to die any moment. Then.. I heard your voice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter title: Escape to Freedom


	22. D4 - Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally tells them about what happened on the Watchtower that saved his life.

_ Wally lay weak and trembling on the ground of his cell. His body quivers as it eats itself for energy. His cheeks are sunken and his eyes blood-shot and devoid of all life.  Tears long since dried, he just curls up and hugs himself tightly, believing that he'll never get a hug from anyone he loves again. _

_These days Flash doesn't come and see if he's alive or dead. He gets other visitors though. Other members of the Justice League come and haze him. They take turns breaking his bones and yelling at him. Sometimes they spit on him. If he were anyone else he would tell them that they are entirely unsanitary and that they should bathe in alcohol, but no._

_He's become numb to their hatred now. Physical pain is an escape from emotional pain. Broken bones are better than a broken heart. Wally daydreams more and more._

_He's well aware that this isn't his home by now. The moment the League turned their backs on him and resorted to torture, that much was certain. The friends… the heroes he knew wouldn't stoop so low. They wouldn't take someone who was their teammate and friend and lock them away to torture them for an unlimited amount of time._

_He's not home. But that doesn't stop him from feeling hurt. They aren't his world's League, but it doesn't stop him from feeling like they're one in the same. They look the same, speak the same, laugh the same, love the same, but they aren't the same. His heroes didn't torture their friends. His Batman wouldn't drug him. His Green Arrow wouldn't break his bones. His Flash wouldn't abandon him. His Justice League would know him._

_He cried for a long time once he realized these facts. He'd hoped and wished and prayed for this to be his home. He'd almost been convinced of it too until shit happened. Traveling.. searching for so long to come so close and fail… it hurt. It hurt so much. Between being tortured and the pain of failing, Wally wanted no more part of life._

_He was in so much emotional and physical pain that he almost didn't notice the flickering of the lights and the security. He'd sat up as fast as he could, which was about as fast as an injured normal person after all his time there. “What the--?”_

_He blinked as the entire Watchtower was enveloped in darkness. Wally squinted his eyes to see something, anything but it was to no avail. He lifted his body, bracing himself against the wall to stand. “Power outage? Isn't that a bad thing?” Wally muttered to himself, voice gravelly from disuse._

_'Still have oxygen… The gravity system appears to be working… Not plunging to our deaths.. So not power outage,' Wally determines._

“ _Baby Flash...”_

_Wally practically jumped out of his skin when he heard that familiar voice calling for him. 'Holy shit!' He jerked his head around, looking for the source. It wasn't possible. Len couldn't be there. And – and – he was sure that this dimension didn't have him listed as 'Baby Flash'._

“ _Keep cool.”_

_Wally laughed a little. He missed those silly puns. It was so familiar it calmed the trembling in his limbs and made him feel a little stronger._

“ _When opportunity knocks, kick down the door and steal it.”_

_Wally's whole being stilled. He remembered that. Len had told him that. He told him that before Wally took time off being Kid Flash when his body was growing weak. He remembered having laughed and feeling the tension melt away. It had the same effect now._

“ _Damn straight, Cold,” Wally murmured._

_Light flickered through the hall outside the cell. It made Wally's brows furrow. What could that be? It could be a hero, in which case, Wally did not want to check it out, but curiosity got the best of him and he leaned onto the cell's energy bars._

_'Well, not a hero,' Wally remarked to himself. In fact it was actually not even alive. Energy crackled through the air, making his hair rise. A short, crazy laugh escaped his lips. Lightning! It was lightning!_

_He watched, light dancing with excitement in his eyes as tendrils of electricity surged forth making its way through the hall. Wally couldn't look away from the amazing sight of lightning, real lightning, rushing through the halls of the Watchtower. It stopped short in front of him, almost hovering._

_It was so beautiful and mesmerizing that Wally didn't notice he'd lifted a hand towards the sparkling ball of power. He frowned when he finally noticed his own actions. Why had he done that? What could come of –_

_His heart raced in his chest, blood pulsating at an increasing speed as a thin tendril of lightning jumped out towards him, biting his fingers. The electricity danced on his skin, rushing up his arm as more and more lightning struck him. It didn't hurt like the time he'd gotten his powers. No, this feeling… it was euphoric!_

_God, with each surge of energy, his body felt stronger, lighter.. It filled him until it faded into nothingness. Pain dissipated and wounds healed before his eyes. He didn't even feel the sluggishness of drugs and hunger. He felt fresh, new. He felt like he could do anything._

_Tentatively, Wally reached out a hand towards the cell bars and he just passed through them. He blinked at the impossible happening, but he wasn't about to take the time to question it. He quickly walked right through the bars and out into the hall. His lips twitched in a grin. “Jail break,” he heard Len's voice flutter out from the darkness. 'Damn right.'_

_Lightning trickled over his hands, sparking and bouncing from finger to finger. He laughed softly. Yeah, it was time he made his way off this fun house. He rotated his shoulders and raced through the dark halls, the lightning on his hands acting as small lamps to light his way. He raced passed confused, panicking heroes and was gone before they could even react._

_He arrived at the teleporter after darting passed that dimension's Red Tornado. He quickly fired it up and typed in coordinates for Keystone City. His heightened state alerted him to the sudden brightness of the Tower. He gulped as the darkness vanished and the Watchtower was a bright as it always was._

_Behind him he heard angry shouts. And yeah, he could not afford to stay another night at that hotel. He flashed over towards the center of the teleporter and waved back at the heroes as his molecules faded and he was teleported to safety. Freedom had never felt so good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was all a big flashback. How was it?
> 
> I'm thinking more about the structure of the dimensions Wally went to and what happened in those.  
> I'll explain more about them in the next chapter and give an overview of what we know about them in the next chapter's end notes.


	23. A Few More Details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally tells them more about the dimensions he's been to and the Rogues can't help but be proud of something he did to a Batman.

After recounting that little escape, Wally shyly looked up at Len, who'd since leaned back in his chair with a stunned look on his face. It made him smile a little. After all the terrible things that had happened there, at least there was that.

It was a silly thing, something a child would do, but Wally could care less. He wrapped his arms around Len and hugged him. There were multiple 'awes' from the Rogues as they looked on. Len wrapped his arms around Wally and returned the hug after he'd been frozen in confusion for a minute.

Len's chuckle sounded in Wally's ear. “Slipped right by them, didn't you kid?” Wally pulled back and grinned, a bit evilly at Len. “Learned from the best.” Len laughed and ruffled Wally's hair.

“Wally...” A broken sounding voice, barely above a whisper, grabbed his attention and he looked over at the two heroes. He'd forgotten about them for a heartbeat when he'd hugged Len. Green Arrow had finished his second beer and Nightwing, his first.

At the utterance of Wally's identity, Nightwing reached out and whacked Green Arrow over the head, who glowered at Nightwing for a moment before realizing his mistake and looking sheepish. Wally just shrugged. It was only loud enough for those at the table to hear it, and Wally knew that Len already knew, so why not.

“Shit.. Shit, I'm so sorry,” Green Arrow apologized, most likely for what his counterpart had done and for his own revealing of Wally's identity. He sounded so close to tears that Wally wanted to reach out and pat his arm, but he bit his lip and held still. Green Arrow, not knowing Wally's plight, reached out to touch Wally's arm. He drew back quickly when Wally visibly flinched back.

Wally's body shuddered but he shook himself. “N-no, it's okay, GA. See? Peachy.” He held his hands out for Green Arrow to see and curled and uncurled his fingers. Despite his light-hearted tone, Green Arrow made a sad noise. He was probably imaging those very hands being broken and Wally's face white with fear and pain.

“There's more.” Wally's gaze flickers over to Nightwing. He can see the tense muscles underneath Dick's uniform. His old friend is wound so tight, Wally's afraid for a moment he might snap. He considers lying for a moment, but gives his head a shake. There's no way that Nightwing wouldn't know he was lying. He always knew, so he banished the thought from his head.

“Yes,” he simply said. The heroes look at him like they're expecting him continue to spill his guts then and there. Wally scowls at them. “Of course there's more. I went through fifteen fucking dimensions,” he bites out, bitterly. There's a ripple of shock that runs through the bar as they hear Wally curse. He didn't often curse but when he did it was serious.

“I went to fifteen dimensions, you know,” Wally begins, staring at a window beyond the heroes. “In nine of the dimensions that I was Kid Flash in, I… died,” he bites his lip at the admittance. Keeping his gaze on the window so he won't see the pitying, shocked looks of his listeners, he continues. “I died so many times… Six out of the nine were dimensions I died or vanished in the fight with the REACH.. The other three I died as a civilian or from other causes,” he makes it a point to turn his body away from Nightwing.

“Other… causes….” Nightwing ponders, concerned. “Like what?” Wally briefly looks at Nightwing, who's leaning forward, tense. He nibbles on his lower lip, nervously as his right hand grabs Len's parka and fiddles with it. “Wally,” Len says softly, eyes gentle as Wally meets his. It's hard to resist Len when he's that gentle. It's the kind of gentleness that is reserved for the people Len trusts and cares for most. Wally rarely sees Len like that, so when it's directed at him, he breaks.

“InonedimensionZoomkilledme – inanotherJokerandanevilRobinkilledme – inthelastonetheJusticeLeaguewerecriminalsandkilledme,” Wally blurts out, speeding through his words like ripping off a bandaid.

Green Arrow looks slightly confused, like he's not sure what Wally said, but he may have gotten the first one. Len looks a bit pale and casts a judging glare at Nightwing. Nightwing is just… staring at Wally. He's so still that Wally has to look real closely to see the inhale and exhale that signals life.

“I killed you?” Nightwing's voice breaks, an unusually emotional display in front of criminals, even though they aren't the common kind. Wally holds his tongue and opts for leaning against Len.

“So, Zoom is the one who offed you in one, Joker and an evil Robin offed you in another,” Cold casts a scathing glare at Nightwing - “and criminal Justice League killed you in the other?” Wally nods, eyes downcast for a moment. Green Arrow has joined Nightwing in his staring and Wally really wishes they would both stop. This isn't a staring contest, but if it was Wally would totally win (blinking so fast they can't tell – Ha!)

“It's fine, though,” Wally stutters. “I mean, I was dead in those dimensions before I arrived so, no big deal. And it wasn't like I got hurt in them, at least not the first two. I mean the bad guy League” - he's trying to be funny here and it's not working by the raised eyebrows - “well, they were ones who beat me up and did this” he gestures to his throat causing Len's eyes and the eyes of the Rogues to narrow, remembering the day before. “But I did manage to punch bad Bats so hard I broke my knuckles,” he smiles, a little uneasily but looks proud of himself. Len chuckles at that and ruffles Wally's hair affectionately. “Did good, kid.”

Steps behind Wally cause him to look back and he sees Heatwave approaching him. Mick stops behind Wally and claps his hand on Wally's shoulder. “Damn good job, kid,” he tells Wally, a proud grin on his face. Wally beams happily up at him. “Learned from the best,” he quips back and watches as Mick ruffles his hair through his cowl and returns to his seat at the bar, a careful eye kept out for Wally.

“These… other dimensions… were they all bad..?” Green Arrow hesitantly asks. Wally blinks and looks back at Green Arrow. Maybe it's because he needs to feel a bit happier, needs to know that Wally's time there wasn't completely terrible, needs to find some reason not to hate himself or he'll drown in his guilt. Wally understands. He lived through all that shit. If he stopped to think about the many ways Other him had died and the ways he's been tortured, he thinks he might fall over and die.

But he can say that there were some good things. At least, he can tell them that, because he's really starting to get tired of their guilt and pity. So he grins and gestures to his uniform, which is still torn from his earlier fight. “Not exactly the traditional colors, but it's awesome isn't it? Nice Zoom helped make it for me.”

The shock and slack jawed reactions on the part of almost everyone in the room, make him want to laugh. Wally makes a split second decision and lifts one of the Rogues' phones and races around taking pictures of all the interesting reactions before returning to his seat in a flash. He bites his lip, shoulders shaking as he tries not to laugh at Green Arrow's tongue almost hanging out when he was gaping. Tries and fails because _fuck_ that's hilarious and it's going to be great blackmail material.

Once everyone realizes what he's done that's so funny, they laugh too, although some look slightly annoyed. Green Arrow pouts like he's five and Wally snaps another picture because really? Green Arrow's not five and he shouldn't be pouting. When he makes a sound of pitiful anger, Wally just sticks out his tongue, playfully. It's a nice feeling. He relaxes in the carefree teasing between them.

“A 'Nice Zoom', huh?” Nightwing comments, a smile still on his face. Wally nods. “Yup!” Putting emphasis on the 'p' to make it pop. “Ran into him when I first arrived in that dimension like literally. WHAM!” He slaps his fist into his open palm to demonstrate. He hears laughter. “I was so freaked out and scared, but then he comes back with a towering ice cream cone that was rainbow colored and well, who could be scared of that?”

Wally tells them a bit more about how he'd met Nice Zoom and he'd been treated like family. There's no hiding his fondness for Nice Zoom when he tells them that he got the best care for his injuries and they'd spent a whole day in Japan when he was well, eating at all-you-can-eat joints. His favorite had been a place called Sweets Paradise.

Mentioning the food made his stomach rumble and a quick glance at the clock almost had  _ him _ slack jawed. It was 10pm. For a Speedster, time had gone fast for once. They decided to end the night there. Everyone was tired and hungry.  Wally hugged all the Rogues, letting them squeeze him a little if they wanted to and assuring them that he'd come back soon.

Green Arrow decided to head back to Star City. Neither Wally nor Nightwing questioned it. He looked thoroughly wrecked, even though he was trying to remain in control. Before he left he promised Wally that if Wally needed anything to call and he'd have it. Wally didn't offer to hug him and Green Arrow didn't push it. They simply waved bye and let it be that way.

Nightwing called someone and asked them to cover his patrol in Bludhaven for a few nights. Wally would've protested, but he did want to spend time with Dick. He didn't ask who he'd called, just whether or not pizza was okay, which it always was. So the two headed back to the hotel, slipping in a dark alley to change into civvies. The pizza arrived at the hotel room shortly after they did and they spent another hour talking and finally fell asleep in the same bed watching TV.

It was familiar and yet it felt new. Wally was 'younger' and Dick had gotten older. Things had changed a bit as all things did with time. But some things stayed the same. Despite thing that had happened, Wally found himself in Dick's arms and he snuggled into the hero, falling asleep feeling better about himself than he had in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know that sometimes lengthy fan fics just get too annoying to read, but how are you doing with it so far?
> 
> Also next up: A look at what Oliver thinks.


	24. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver takes time to reflect about what Wally tells him.

Waking up the next morning was hard. Oliver wanted nothing more than to roll right back over, go to sleep, and forget everything from the night before. Sure, he had a pounding hangover after the two beers and however many drinks he had when he'd gotten back to the manor, but personally he'd preferred it to the thoughts about what he'd heard from Wally.

God, it  _ was  _ Wally! The very same Wally he hugged and doted on before he'd  practically blown himself up to make himself a Speedster. That was a day that Oliver never wanted to remember but a day that he thought of almost every time he saw streaks of lightning and hurricane force winds signaling a Speedster.

The fact that Wally was alive after all that time was incredible! He was overjoyed at the prospect of spending time with his pseudo-nephew.  Shit, that was the happiest news he'd received since Dinah agreed to date him and Roy actually said yes to having dinner with the couple.

With that joy came overwhelming guilt. Like the guilt when it was discovered that Roy had been taken by Cadmus and replaced by a clone. Oliver hadn't even known it! He'd left his adopted son in the care of a group of fucking nutcases. There was no way that Oliver could make-up for that. And now, hearing that Wally had been alive for a year and all he'd been through, Oliver felt the same guilt welling up inside of him.

He'd promised himself that he would never allow something like what happened to Roy to happen again, and yet, he hadn't been there for Wally. Everyone had mourned him. Oliver had even spoken at his funeral, recounting good memories. They mourned him and that was it. What the hell had they been doing when Wally had been out there? What was Wally going through when they'd woken up and had each other while he'd had  _ no one _ ?

Oliver's heart ached terribly at the image of Wally, locked away, crying and in pain with no one to save him. It killed him to think of his Other self breaking Wally's bones, maybe even smiling as Wally whimpered in pain beneath him and begged to be set free.

And oh god, Batman. Had he  _ known _ ? Was that why he was so free with Wally from the first day the 'traveler' had arrived in their dimension? Oliver groaned as he went about his way, his mind in shambles. Barry didn't know. Barry doesn't know. That thought right there just made Oliver want to crawl back in bed and hide there for the rest of the week.

But he forced himself to eat, get ready, and make his way up to the Watchtower. He was starting to get tempted to break Bruce's jaw for not telling him. Oliver understood why he wouldn't tell them that the traveler was Wally. Seeing the way that the kid had  _ flinched _ away from Oliver made it clear that heroes brought back terrible memories and he knew that Wally hadn't even told them a fraction of the horrible things he went through.

Upon arrival on the Watchtower, his gaze immediately finds Nightwing, leaning against the wall. Nightwing waved him over. “Hey,” he said. “Rough night,” Nightwing said and Oliver could only nod his agreement. If he didn't know better, he'd think Nightwing kicked back a few, but he knew that most likely he'd stayed with Wally.

“How is he,” Oliver murmured softly. “He's okay. Ate a truckload for breakfast and said he'd take a run across the country until lunchtime. The Roys are going to check in on him later,” Nightwing told him in an equally quiet voice. Oliver quirked a brow and began to walk, with Nightwing by his side. “Guess last night explains why Bats didn't tell us,” Oliver mentions and he sees Nightwing nod, reluctantly.

“I can't imagine what he's been through,” Nightwing grimaces. Oliver can only flinch. He'd prayed he'd been too drunk to have any nightmares, but the images of Wally, begging for mercy couldn't be erased. “You too, huh?” Nightwing notices, having had nightmares of his own. They collectively sigh sadly.

“Not what you expected, was it?” A familiar gruff voice makes them both jump as Batman steps from the hallway shadows. “Geez, Bats!” Oliver scolds him. He's still not used to being stalked by Gotham's own night creeper. He flinches when Batman gives him a look. Surely he couldn't know… ehhh… He might.

Nightwing shakes his head, used to Batman's antics. “It's still hard to believe it's him,” he replies, keeping their topic safe from any listeners. Oliver nods and adds, “I can't believe you didn't tell us, but I can understand why you didn't.” And he can. He can't imagine what would happen if Batman had revealed Wally's identity on the first day. He only knows it would've hurt Wally even more than he'd been hurt.

The three make their way through the Tower to a conference room to talk privately. “What do we do, Bats?” Oliver asks, concerned. Batman and Nightwing exchange gazes and they do that whole 'talking with their eyes' thing that isn't near as romantic as it's supposed to be. In fact, he thinks they've ruined that for him.

“For now, you tell me what he told you last night and how it went,” Batman says as they all take seats around the conference room. Oliver can tell that he's casually secured the room from anyone, minus a distinct few. “Then, we take it from there about how best to help him,” Batman continues.

Oliver fidgets anxiously, which he hates. He's not normally so nervous. He's used to being a hot-head. Still, he tilts his head towards Nightwing and allows him to begin telling Batman about everything Wally told him, allowing Oliver to add in a few details every now and then.

By the end of the discussion, Oliver has only one thought, 'what's going to happen when Barry finds out?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it was kind of a boring chapter.
> 
> Anyways, I've got the end goal in my sight and I've already started on side stories to this. Like, I'm excited about those. Holy crap.


	25. Counting Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally decides to spend his day out on the town. Or at least that's what he'd intended to do.  
> Until he gets a call.

After Roy and Roy checked on him at lunchtime, Wally spent his time wandering around the city. They said that they'd come back and see him once all they'd taken care of a few things and Wally had been fine with that. Sure, it was no fun gallivanting around the city alone, but he understood.

For a while, Wally had been tempted to go to see the Rogues, but after being there so much in the past few days he's afraid that starting a trend of heroes gathering at a thieves den to be bad. For both sides. That was one of the parts that he'd grown frustrated with since he'd become friends with them. He was so afraid that they would get hurt, or hurt each other. And he'd loved spending time with Uncle Barry, it's just that sometimes he wishes he could hang out with Uncle Len in public too.

He paused in his walking to look at his reflection in the window. Yipe. Still had sauce from his hot-dog feast. He quickly licked his lips clean and rubbed a spot on his cheek. It would be embarrassing but no one knew him. Plus, he'd gotten used to being on his own. Some things just didn't bother him as much these days.

Wally was about to bite into a donut from a local donut shop when his comm alert beeped incessantly and ruined his day. He grumbled as he quickly gobbled the donut down, still managing to taste it with his speed eating, and answered the alert.

“ _All members in the_ _vicinity of Central City, report to the following location. This is an alpha level situation.”_

'Alpha level situation'? Wally cringed inside. The last time there had been an alpha level situation was when the REACH were invading. Alpha level meant bad news. World threatening shit.  It meant that there was shit going down. It also meant that Bolt might need to assist.

With that in mind, Wally took a deep breath  and tried not to think about running headfirst into a bunch of heroes that had tried to kill him in other dimensions. 'No,' he said, reminding himself, 'not them, just Other them.' They wouldn't hurt him. 'Not on purpose, at least. Accidents happen in the field.' He quickly shook himself. “Not helping,” he sternly told himself.

He rolled his shoulder blades, rotating them in preparation. Wally ducked into an alley and made sure no one was around before he spun around, donning his uniform. With a quick look-over, he noted that all the damage had been repaired and God, he really needed to figure out that technology to apply it to his daily wear. He could be rich.

And enough wasting time. Wally raced off to the location that he'd received. What he found, was more than a little daunting.

Villains. Super villains. Bad guys. They were like a colony of red ants (mostly because he hates red ants and bad guys are just as bad). He winced as he saw Kid Flash thrown against the wall. That had to have hurt.

Normally with the overwhelming powers of the Original Seven added to the mix, Wally would say this fight was 'in the bag', however, the super villain team-up was nothing to scoff at. From Luthor to Joker, all the big baddies were there. If Wally were a little younger, less experienced, he'd be quaking in his Speedster boots.

The only odd man out was Zoom and regardless of the reason, Wally thanked his lucky stars because he would not handle more. Dodging, weaving, throwing punches and kicks, he made his way to the center of the chaos when he heard someone yell  _“BOMB!”_

Bombs, while terrible, were not uncommon in the superhero biz. Everyone gained experience with protecting others from bombs, de-activating them, or getting blown up. So, the fear that was held when whoever it was yelled that out was enough to set everyone on edge.

Wally wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he'd heard Superman swear. It might've been his imagination, but when he saw the bomb himself, he knew it was reality. The sight had turned his blood cold and he'd frozen long enough for someone to snap one of his ribs with a hit. Well, it could've been two, but he wasn't paying attention.

Wally might not show it very often, but he was a genius. And being that, he instantly ran his eyes over the wires and the raced over to get a closer look. He noted a variety of materials. Materials that made this bomb so much more than a usual one. This wasn't TNT or anything of the like. There was a minute left before it exploded. Except this explosion wouldn't blow up the building. No. It would create a black hole. A new Singularity.

Wally knew what would happen if it went off. He'd seen the aftermath of a Singularity in another dimension. He knew what caused it. How many people would die. He was also hyper-aware of the damage to the city it would do.

He also knew how to stop it. And he'd have to. The other time he'd heard of a Singularity happening, it was solved by a Speedster. This time he'd have to act faster than that Speedster. He'd seen what the guilt of not being able to stop it quickly enough had done to the Speedster. It wasn't something he wanted for himself. With all those heroes gathered together, fighting for the same thing – if it went off, they would all feel the loss and helplessness that Speedster had felt.

A Singularity was just something he couldn't allow.

Wally bit his lip as he looked at the timer ticking down the seconds. Messing with the bomb would only cause it to happen instantaneously. He waited and used 30 seconds to shift the flow of the fight and help some heroes get their baddie. The last 10 seconds, he spotted Nightwing, the Roys, Flash, Kid Flash, the team, Batman… He saw them all.

And then… it exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... leading to the ending.
> 
> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I have so many scenarios in my head, I want to make sure that the story is going in a good direction.
> 
> Anyways, next chapter: What happens after the bomb explodes?


	26. Singularity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally races to close the Singularity before it decimates the city and the Earth as it had threatened to do so in another dimension.

Light… It was just so bright the instant the bomb went off. Wally thought it resembled a star imploding. Uncle Hal had shown him once on a secret trip to space that Uncle Barry still didn't know about. It made Wally's head ache with the sudden brightness. Behind him, he could tell that it did the same to everyone else, hero and villain alike who were still conscious.

“ Shit,” Wally said to himself. “Shit, shit, shit, shit.” He fiddled with the comm, keeping an eye on the growing dark hole in the sky. “This is Bolt. Clear the area and prepare for debris,” he ordered, putting force into his shaky voice.  _ “You have a plan?” _ Batman's gruff voice asked him. He bit his lip before responding, “I know how to close it.”  _ 'It' _ was obviously a black hole and everyone important knew what it was.

Wally caught Batman's eye and Batman nodded his consent before beginning to order the League to take the villains and any heroes who couldn't get themselves up to a safe distance. He knew that Batman was curious but the lack of questioning on Batman's part (others did question) made him feel more brave. He shuddered as he saw the upper part of a building _ crack _ and fly into the sky. It was lucky that everyone in the vicinity had already evacuated.

Wishing the other Flash was there so he didn't have to go at it alone and inexperienced, he took a deep breath and ran away from the scene.  Miles away from the unfolding disaster, he stopped and turned around. His muscles furled in, tense with emotion and power.  _ “Believe in yourself _ ,” other Flash had said.  _ “When it comes down to it, it's not the speed that matters, it's you.” _

It felt like thousands of little lightning bolts running through his muscles, scorching his veins and skin. When an entire building started to crumble at the foundation, seconds away from hurling into the vortex in the sky, Wally ran.  He raced through the streets, dodging cars and rubble that had crumbled from buildings. He sees trees sway a little with the pull of the Singularity.

Above all, Wally is pissed. He's mad that this ended up happening. He's mad that he's in this situation. That this is likely his home but he's too afraid to tell them. Mad that he's broken. Overall, he's mad that some villains decided to trash his city and hurt his friends and family.

Those are the emotions fueling him as he races up the side of the building being pulled into the sky. His feet are pounding on the concrete with a fierce thrumming. He avoids the windows because they've already broken from the pressure, sending glass into his legs. His body is thriving with wild power – with speed.

Wally can hear yells from the heroes below as they drag the wounded, hero and villain alike away from the disaster. He hears those he knows shout at him with concern. The Roys, Dick, and Ollie are going to be ticked at him for doing this. If Wally had time he'd tell them that he knows what he's doing, but since he doesn't, they can yell their voices away because he's not stopping for anyone or anything.

The pull of the black hole is strong. So strong it feels like it's ripping bits and pieces of Wally away as he leaps to the outer edges. He grits his teeth and runs around the edges, the constant pull of gravity a dull reminder that its eating things and he could very well be next.

Wally feels small. Underneath all the speed and power, despite the fact that he knows a Speedster can beat this space monster and win, he's aware of how big its grown from feeding. He's aware that this isn't some Rogue that he can knock out or talk down. This is life or death. Not for the Singularity. But for him. For him and everyone else living on Earth because if it gets too big it could very well devour anything in its path.

Body burning with force, he makes himself continue to run. He draws the energy from his speed, wrapping it around the edges and pulling tighter and tighter with each lap. 'There's a certain flow to a black hole', the experienced Flash had told him. 'Once you determine the direction, you turn against it and you take your speed, your power, and tighten it around the Singularity like you're cutting off a facet.' He kept those words in mind as he followed the instructions.

Wally felt his heart soar with delight and adrenaline as he noted the decreasing size of the black hole. He could feel the dull ache of his body as power was continuously pushed into his efforts. He was going to pay for this later, but for now he was just focused on cutting it off. He would be the one to end this attack. It wasn't going to be like with the REACH. He was going to survive this time – without being thrown into the Speed Force or another dimension.

It seemed like ages to him, but most things did to a Speedster. But the black hole finally closed with a reluctant rush of energy. What goes up, must come down. That was something that Wally was not liking. He fell with the buildings and the rubble. He fell with pain pulsing in his veins from being drained. Worn out and exhausted, he didn't even have energy to scream as the upward gravity faded and left him dropping.

'Catch me, someone catch me,' he mentally begged.

Luckily there was someone there. Wally landed with a thump in someone's wide arms.  Brows furrowed as he tried to clear his blurred vision and see who had caught him, he mumbled, “Thank fuck.” He could feel a low rumble as someone chuckled, holding him against his chest. “You can thank me,” a familiar voice replied, voice full of amusement.

He shook his head a little, lethargically. Wally's eyes found those of his savior, who glowed green. He sighed, happily. Green Lantern. Uncle Hal. He was too tired to tense up with fear. It was the adrenaline and shock that kept him from crying out. Honestly, he enjoyed it. If he were more aware, he might have struggled, but now he was tired and grateful that his body was allowing him this guilty pleasure.

“Unc' Hal...” he muttered, exhausted. “Though' you said I coul' have a ring fo' m' birthday… ne'ar go' one…”

Had Wally not been on the verge of passing out, he might have noticed the shock on Green Lantern's face. He might have heard the way Green Lantern whispered 'Wally?' and seen the way he scanned Wally's features for something familiar. As it turns out, Wally didn't even notice when they touched ground as he blacked out, seconds later. He felt a hand brush his cheek and thought he might have felt someone tug his cowl off.

Wally missed the way shock rippled through those that had come to surround him as his identity was finally revealed for all the League to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Cat's out of the bag now.
> 
> How'd you enjoy the chapter?


	27. Suspicion in the Middle of the Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry, Flash, watches as the young Speedster races to close the black hole. But that's not all he watches.  
> Some heroes seem a lot more worried than others.

Everyone, heroes and villains alike, who were conscious watched as the unknown young hero raced up the side of the building, sparking with electricity and energy. Flash could only stare. He was a Speedster like the kid. He was as fast as the kid, give or take a bit. Yet there he was, frozen, watching someone else take risks. Watching a kid Speedster take risks.

Barry's heart pounded in his chest. It was a thudding that roared in his ears. So loud that he almost hadn't heard the commands to take the unconscious heroes and villains to a safe distance. But he had – faintly. It hadn't taken much time to follow the demand, so there he stood, under the terrifying phenomenon with other heroes, eyes wide as the horror unfolded.

When he made to go get the kid after first seeing him running up the building, he'd been told not to follow. Not just told – commanded. 'By no means was he to go and 'get in the kid's' way', he'd been told. Batman's order had nearly made him snap at the black cloaked detective, but he'd bitten his tongue and decidedly fumed and worried over the young, mysterious hero.

Yes, he was worried. 'Worried about Bolt,' he reminded himself. The kid he remembered meeting, fresh from another dimension, was snarky and self-reliant. But he was also scared and hurt, although he knew the wounds should be healed by now. There was something in the kid's manner that had struck him right at his heart.

Barry didn't know if he was a threat or not, but personally he could've cared less. For whatever reason, he felt connected to the young Speedster. He tried not to think about what that meant. About who he thought of. But it was hard to forget Wally. Everything made him think of Wally and how he'd failed to protect his nephew. His nephew who had been kind, gentle, sweet, and yet who was loyal to a fault. Wally who never gave up when confronted and who always forgave.

It should have been a trivial thing – to connect Wally and the new Speedster kid, but it wasn't. Barry's heart ached at the memory of the kid and it broke when he'd seen the way that the kid had flinched back. He'd avoided contact with the heroes and kept his distance. Sure, he'd lashed out at them, but with Barry's experience at CCPD as a CSI he knew that the kid was suffering from severe trauma. Something terrible had happened to him and he couldn't do anything about it.

It hadn't been long after that that Barry had met him again, on hero business. The kid was good, he'd admitted to himself afterwards. He had taken on the criminals and won. Flash would've helped but he had been otherwise occupied. It turned out well and Bolt did a good job at stopping them. He could see that Bolt was confident in his role even if he had been nervous in front of Flash after the battle had ended – he had tried and that was all that mattered.

That's why he felt his heart clench as he watched Bolt racing around the edges of the black hole. It was frightening to think that if he slipped up, even a little bit, he would end up swallowed alive. He ground his teeth in frustration and concern and beside him he could feel that several others did the same. There were a few, though, that were a lot more worried than others. Batman, Arsenal, Red Arrow, Nightwing, and, surprisingly, Green Arrow.

It was surprising how they all seemed to huddle in the same area, hands clenched in concern. A quick check-over noted that they were all shaking just a little. Even Batman, which was a shock to him. Flash kept one eye to the sky as he darted over to the five heroes.

The black hole was slowly shrinking, which set a ghost of a grin on the huddle masses. Something told him that they were much more involved, emotionally, than the average hero. Everything he saw in them – their tense muscles, body language, jaws tight, teeth clenched… It had him narrowing his eyes.

Flash glanced at the sky, watching the black hole grow smaller and smaller for a moment then flicked his eyes back to the heroes. “Who?” The way he practically spat at the question in anger, had their eyes turning towards him. Whoever Bolt was he wasn't just some visitor, some traveler from another dimension… No, he was someone they knew personally. He was someone _he_ might know personally.

“Not now,” Batman ground out, distracted with his attention mainly on the sky. Flash opened his mouth to protest, because he really needed to know now. It wasn't wanted. It was needed. They were reacting like Bolt was someone important to them, someone precious to them. It was probably nothing, but there was an inkling of suspicion growing in his stomach that had him feeling nauseous.

“ _Not now!”_ Batman bit out, angrily in frustration as he turned away from Flash, focusing his full attention back on the ongoing situation. Flash huffed and eyed the other heroes by his side and they shook their heads. They were determined not to tell him. He grudgingly understood. They had their whole bodies focusing on that one kid in the sky, racing to save Central City and as a byproduct, Earth.

Flash tapped his foot anxiously. If he wasn't half terrified with worry he might have taken Batman and pinned him against a nearby building. He probably wouldn't take care of his head so that would crack against the building with a satisfied whack.

Flash shook his head and ignored his anger. It wasn't like him to get so angry about something that didn't involve family. The last time he'd been so impatiently angry was… He mentally frowned at the thought. It had been when he'd seen Wally hit by a kid at school. So hard it'd broken a rib.

'Yeah. No… Not possible,' he told himself. He shook off the unsettling feeling and his lips curved in a smile as Bolt forced the black hole closed somehow. He'd have to ask about that later. The scientific details made him extremely curious. Some kind of energy? Or was it about some kind of integral current flow being disrupted?

Flash's questions faded as he saw things fall. Buildings, rubble, trees, cars… Bolt. The kid was falling from the sky. “Lantern, catch him!” Batman barked out harshly. Hal leaped into action in glowing green. His attention would've remained on Hal catching the kid, if not for a whisper that was so loud everything else was drowned it.

“ _Wally.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like someone slipped up, but can you blame them?
> 
> So next time... should it be Hal's reactions or Flash's? Or an overview.


	28. The Many Stages of Disbelief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flash thinks it's all a bad joke. Hal thinks his heart is breaking.

“ _Wally.”_

 

Flash froze, blood turning to ice and oxygen suddenly impossibly for his lungs to inhale.  What. What did he just… Did he just hear what he thought he heard.  His eyes flashed to Oliver, narrowing with vengeance. The way Oliver covered his hands with his mouth, the way the others hissed at him to shut up…

He was in front of Green Arrow before anyone knew what was happening, pinning him against a still standing building with his fingers fisted in Green Arrow's uniform. Flash's voice was deadly cold as he spoke. “What did you just say.” When Green Arrow's eyes widened and his mouth flapped open and closed without him saying anything, Flash pulled him from the building only to slam him back against it.

“ _What. Did. You. Say!?”_

Someone cursed behind him and suddenly there were hands grabbing him, pulling on him. Flash wouldn't budge. It must've been either of the other archers, the Bat, or the bird. They wouldn't be able to move him unless they were Superman and even then he wasn't about to let this go. “Fuck off,” he demanded to the owners of the hands.

“Barry… Barry, calm down...” Oliver spoke, trying to soothe his friend. All it did was make Flash even more angry. A growl ripped through from his throat and any confidence Green Arrow had dried up and he shook with sudden fear. “Tell me now,” Flash barked out.

“Flash, _calm down_ ,” Batman ordered, voice hard. “It's Wally. Bolt is Wally.”

Any bone breaking Flash had been planning to do vanished. It was like his brain came to a sudden halt.  He could even hear the screech. Like a train suddenly sliding to a halt, triggered by emergency breaks as metal whines against metal.

“If this is a joke, it's a terrible one. Are you looking to commit suicide, _Ollie_?” Barry hissed out, eyes burning with anger and disbelief. There was no way that could be Wally. Wally died almost a year ago. He was there. Almost everyone was there. The fuck were they doing telling him that the new Speedster kid was Wally!?

That kid was just that a  _kid_ . Wally was older when he died. Age difference alert. The facts did not match up. Okay, so the hair color wasn't natural when he'd met the kid first, but that did not mean that the kid's natural hair color was ginger. And anyone could have green eyes. It did not point to that kid being Wally.

_And_ even  _if_ it was Wally, why wouldn't he go to Barry first? Huh!? Flash growled and tightened his grip on the green archer. “Flash! Flash! – Barry, calm down! He's telling the truth,” Nightwing urged him. His teeth ground in frustration. How could everyone forget that Wally  _died_ .

“Wally's dead! He died a year ago! I was there! You were there,” he raged at them. Arsenal and Red Arrow grabbed either one of his arms and pulled him off Green Arrow. “He's not dead,” Arsenal snapped at Flash. “We saw him!” Red Arrow nodded, mouth tightly set in a frown, their attention wavering between the older Speedster and their friend in Green Lantern's arms as he descended.

“Lies!”

And while Flash was having it out with the five heroes, Green Lantern just about dropped from the sky in shock. He was tempted to make a hammer out of the green energy and whack himself upside the head to make sure he was still conscious. He couldn't have heard what he thought the kid said… could he?

 

There he was, though, in the sky, holding a young Speedster who spoke of a promise and called him 'Uncle Hal' like only one person had ever done. Vaguely, he could hear Flash yelling at someone, but he paid it no mind. He even didn't notice the other heroes moving rubble and Superman settling down a building off the side that hadn't made it up into the black hole.

All of his attention was focused on Wally. It was only the muscle memory that kept the ring activated, else the two would've fallen to their deaths. He brushed his hand along the cheek of the young Speedster who shuddered lightly in his unconscious state. Heart clenching at the thought that this kid could be Wally. The same kid who just ran up the side of a building and closed a black hole that could've threatened the entire Earth.

It was forced but he glanced around at the messy scene beneath him. Concern was building for the young Speedster. There were cuts in the suit, glass sticking out of his legs and some on his torso. He couldn't see it as well, but he could feel the warm wetness of blood as he held the kid. Some of the cuts he could see weren't healing right and that set off all kinds of alarms for Green Lantern. So when he touched the pavement, his first thing to do was to yell for a medic.

Green Lantern froze as he felt the stillness of the kid in his arms. Unsure if he was properly breathing and panicking a little, he ripped of the kid's cowl. Shock surged through him and he could hear others gasp in disbelief. It made him blink. He hadn't heard anyone approach, but then again he had been so focused on the kid that he had lost track of Flash. Of Barry.

Eyes narrowed, Batman shouldered his way through the stunned heroes to Green Lantern and Wally. “Back up,” he growled towards the surrounding viewers. Green Lantern's eyes flickered passed Batman as he laid the Speedster on the pavement to see Flash sitting with his back against a building, frozen.

When others tried to approach, Arsenal, Nightwing, Red Arrow, and Green Arrow barked at them to back off. When comments were made demanding answers, the four told them to 'shove it'. Paying them no mind, Batman called the Watchtower demanding an emergency teleport and to prep the Medbay.

When asked if he would go with them, Green Lantern hesitated to leave his best friend and go with his nephew or knock some sense into his friend to bring him back to reality. It was only when Superman had rested a hand on his shoulder and told him that he'd take care of Barry that Green Lantern had raced to the Watchtower following Batman, Nightwing, Red Arrow, Arsenal, and Green Arrow with Wally in their care.

Although he was still shocked and quite frankly he was stuck, unsure whether he should freak out or if he should feel ecstatic, he sure as Hell wasn't going to let Wally get too far away. He wasn't going to let Wally get hurt again. He'd sooner rip apart a sun than let anyone lay their hands on his pseudo-nephew.

He had a multitude of questions. In fact, Hal felt like he was nothing but worry and questions. Arriving on the Watchtower, he made his way towards the Medbay. He knew just who to talk to about getting answers. He needed answers. Yet there was a growing part of him that was afraid of what he was going to find out. The memory of the arrival of Wally had been on his mind, beaten up and bloodied. He was afraid to find out he'd failed him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was a lot of messy emotions for a chapter.  
> What did you think?
> 
> I am a bit stumped as to how to go about the next chapter, but we'll see. I think I might just go back to Wally and him waking up. Flash has way too many complex feelings about this. - But still not sure yet.


	29. A Familiar Place with a Old Familiar Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally wakes up on the Watchtower's Medbay.

_It was like the pounding of drums as his feet hit the ground. Thump thump thump! Sweat beaded his forehead and trickled down, stinging his eyes. His muscles felt torn and overwhelmed. His body ached from wounds and blood dripped from his injuries. He had to get away._

_There was too much darkness. But he could hear footsteps pounding behind him. They were catching up. He had to get away. 'No, no no no, please, no,' he cries._

_Falling, he wakes up._

Waking up was agony. It's not often that he admitted that. Wally had woken up his fair share of times beat to Hell as of late but he rarely admitted it was agony. Waking up now, yeah. Agony.

Wally groaned and opened his eyes slowly. He mumbled curses in Russian under his breath when the light pierced his eyes. 'Hateful artifical light,' he thought.

“Look who's back in the world of the living,” he heard a familiar voice say.

Blinking the haze away and ignoring the twinge he felt turning his head, he spotted the Roys. “Fuck you,” Wally mutters without any real heat in it. The two snort in amusement, but Wally can see the concern in their eyes. They were always the type to be gooey on the inside, especially when it came to him and Dick.

Wally's face scrunches up in pain as he struggles to sit up. “Shit kid,” clone Roy says, helping Wally sit up. “Not a kid,” he mumbles in return, but he knows that he totally looks like one now. Real Roy raises an eyebrow in silent question. “Fine, but only in physical appearance,” he retorts. The two archers exchange looks and Wally knows they're thinking about how he's still childish no matter what age. He grumbles.

“Are you okay, Wally?” Nightwing – Dick, because he's removed his mask, asks as he enters the room. He's in a private room in the Medbay so he supposes that the secret identity thing is safe. Bats wouldn't put him in a room so public anyways. Not now, at least.

Wally shrugs. “I feel like I got hit by the Juggernaut.” Yeah, he remembers that feeling. That's more or less how he feels now. Like he got his ass kicked by the abominable wall of flesh and muscle.

“Who?” Wally just shakes his head because he is so not explaining that, at least not in depth. “Bad guy in another dimension. Kinda like Superman, just evil, no laser vision or flying abilities.” They nod and he's not sure they fully get it, but the image of a bad Superman makes an impression.

Wally rubs his head, temples aching. “So, what happened?” Dick plops down in a chair beside the bed as the Roys settle on either side of him, bow and arrows oddly within their reach. “What's the last thing you remember,” Dick asks, eyes running over Wally as if he's looking for sign of distress. Wally just shrugs a shoulder and replies, “Trying to close the Singularity, er – black hole,” he amends when he sees the confusion. “Did I get it?”

Dick nods with a smile on his face. “You did. Kinda fell from the sky afterwards though.” Wally nods with a contemplative frown on his face. “Gravity,” he thinks aloud and the three heroes nod in confirmation. Wally sighs and leans against clone Roy, unable to ignore the exhaustion his aching body was feeding him.

“I'm not street pizza so.. someone caught me?” Someone enters the room and replies for him. “I did.” Wally's eyes flash over to Green Lantern, who's looking unusually timid, nervous, and happy. Wally squirms against clone Roy, who slips an arm around him in return. He tries to smile at Hal. “Busted?” Hal nods in return, stopping a few feet away from Wally. “Busted, kid.”

Wally tries not to pull further away from him. 'He did save you,' he tells himself. Uncle Hal saved him. He wouldn't hurt him. His body was still trying to escape, but he put a lid on his fear. “Hi… Uncle Hal,” he says with a small wave. Hal smiles sadly at him. “Hey there, kid. Nice to see you breathing.”

Wally fidgets, one of his hands slipping into real Roy's, who was a little surprised but, as usual, never denying him, squeezed his hand in return. “You know,” Wally asks, uncertain of what everyone knows now. Hal nods, mouth set in a grim line. “I might've taken off your cowl after I caught you and… well, a lot of the members saw your face.” Wally grimaced. “Batman had to tell them enough to keep them satiated. He only told the Original members the full story, at least as far as much as he knows.”

That explained a lot. It explained the way Hal kept out of his personal space and hadn't tried to ruffle his hair, as he'd been so found of. He knew. They knew. It was like being treated like glass and Wally had no love for that kind of treatment. He wasn't _that_ fragile. Was he?

“Wally?” Hal's voice brought him out of his daze and Wally's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “All good,” he assured them. They looked unconvinced but allowed him his secrets. “What… what about Flash?” He frowned and amended himself. It wasn't like him to be so impersonal. “What about Uncle Barry?” The name rolled over his tongue, tasting like frosty breezes on a run up North.

He noticed the way Dick and the Roys exchanged looks with Hal, who looked a bit tired. “He took it a bit badly,” Hal admitted with an apologetic look. “Superman had to drag him away from Batman after he threatened to vibrate his hand through Bats' chest for keeping this from him.” Wally flinched back, shivering a little in clone Roy's arms. He was sadly familiar with the feeling and the image of Flash doing such a thing… No, he wasn't going to think that way anymore.

“Anyways, he… ran off, saying something about burning off energy and maybe stopping by some bar for answers,” Hal continued. Worry bubbled up in Wally at the thought of Flash turning up at the Rogues' bar, demanding answers. That was not going to go over very well. He wasn't sure how Uncle Barry knew that he went to them first, but somehow he found out.

“Don't worry,” Dick interrupted his miniature panic attack. “Superman held him at bay long enough for Oliver to zeta beam himself down to the bar to give them a heads up.” Wally nodded slowly, panic ebbing a little. At least there was that.

It kind of stung to know that his uncle had just run off. Sure, Wally might've panicked if he saw his face when he woke up, but there was a small part of him that had wanted the uncle who'd raised and loved him to be there. He couldn't bring himself to contemplate what his uncle was thinking. It would only hurt him. They needed to talk, as much as it might freak him out. He'd realized something very important recently and they would need to talk about it.

“We need to talk about what happened, don't we?” Wally asked to make sure they were on the same page. Dick nodded. “A lot people want to know what happened and we can tell them a few things if you like, but this is your experience. Not ours.” He understood that.

Talking was something he could do. He could at least _talk_ to them. Maybe he could even hug them a little? Maybe. Wally sighed and rubbed his cheek on clone Roy's shoulder. They deserved answers, even if they weren't the happiest answers.

“Get some rest for now,” Hal told him, glancing at the other heroes and with a sharp glare, most likely threatening them if something happened to Wally. He was always the protective kind. Wally opened his mouth when Hal cut him off. “Don't worry. I'll get Barry. Drag him back by his foot if I have to,” he assured Wally, making them smile a little. Wally just nodded and let the Roys help him lay back on the bed. He shut his eyes thinking, 'Rest… maybe just a short nap..'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost 30 chapters! I might just make this a series and have part two in another works.
> 
> Next chapter... Hal drags Barry back to the Watchtower where he and Wally reconnect.


	30. Reassure Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally meets Barry again. This time outside the suit.  
> He also needs some reassurances.

Waking up for the second time in the Watchtower's Medbay was a lot less painful than the first time. Wally supposed his body was recovering well. The energy from the black hole had disrupted his own abilities and affected his body, is what he'd gathered when he had time to think about why he'd woken up with his body a mess the first time.

It was a relief to wake up feeling only weak. At least he was able to sit up on his own this time, even if it left his limbs trembling. His eyes glanced about the room, spotting clone Roy and Dick asleep in their chairs. Real Roy's chair was oddly empty. Maybe he went to get a drink? Or food. Wally was kind of hoping it was food.

Apple pie… Cheesecake… Hot dogs… Pizza… He groaned softly as his stomach rumbled. He was getting pretty hungry. Maybe some kappamaki (cucumber rolls) or omuraisu (ketchup fried rice omelet)… He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and grinned. He really was like a black hole. Wally cringed. 'Maybe a bad comparison,' he thought to himself.

Musings of food were interrupted when the door swung open with a loud whack. It almost made him laugh at how quickly Dick and clone Roy jumped up with wide, sleepy eyes. At least they hand their hands on their weapons quickly. Wally thought their speed might've been comparable to his own.

For his part, Wally practically jumped out of his skin, which was impossible, except he thought it was totally possible when he say Hal pushing Barry through the door, grumbling at him. Cowl pulled back, his Uncle Barry looked like a chastised child with embarrassment plain in his cheek color. It was pretty amusing to the three in the room prior to their entrance. Dick raised an eyebrow, smothering a laugh, while clone Roy just snorted at the interesting sight.

Hal dragged Barry just within the safety limits of Wally's comfort zone. Fingers twitching, he bowed his head, avoiding his uncle's gaze. Barry twisted his fingers together in a nervous gesture of his own, catching Hal's glare before he looked back to Wally and cleared his throat. “I'm sorry.” The cracking of his uncle's voice had Wally sneaking a gaze at his broken looking face. It made him frown.

“Why?” Wally questioned, wondering what he could possibly be apologizing for. Seriously, they hadn't seen each other in almost a year in this dimension and however you added up the time Wally had spent in other dimensions. Meh. He tossed the idea of computing the time. Time spent in other dimensions didn't add up anyways.

“Wally.. can you look at me?” Brows furrowing, Wally took a deep breath and looked up to meet his uncle's eyes. A wave of fear had him shivering as their eyes met and he tried to cover it up by pulling the Medbay blankets around him. Barry flinched at the gesture, clearly not believing that Wally was cold. No one else believed him either, but nobody called him out on it.

“I'm sorry,” Barry repeated. “I should've recognized you… I should've kept looking for you. It should've been me instead of you. It's my fault. It's all my fault,” a guilty, torn up sob broke free of Barry's throat. His eyes wet, he kept his gaze on Wally.

Barry's words seemed to stun Wally into a perfect stillness coupled by a silence that freaked out the heroes in the room. His eyes weren't even blinking. Wally just looked blankly at Barry.

Dick and clone Roy slid over to Wally and clone Roy slipped an arm around Wally's shoulder. “Wally?” Dick questioned, unnerved as the others at Wally's abrupt statue likeness. Dick reached out a hand and laid it over Wally's, pleased when Wally didn't flinch away and instead, blinked out of his trance. “Wha-? I'm good,” Wally stuttered out.

Giving his head a quick shake and a quick smile to Dick and clone Roy, he looked back at his uncle. “It's um.. it's fine, Uncle B,” he murmured. “It wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault.” When Barry shook his head, Wally pressed on. “Fine, it was the REACH's fault then. It wasn't your fault or their fault-” he gestured to Hal, clone Roy, and Dick “- either.”

Barry smiled and took a step towards Wally that had him curling into clone Roy's side. Seeing the reaction, Barry froze, frowning. “Yeah, sorry, no invading my personal space unless you have a pass,” Wally said with humor, trying to draw out his confidence. The sudden change in Wally's mood was startling. Despite outward appearances, Dick and clone Roy could feel how tense Wally's body was and how he shook slightly.

Barry and Hal frowned, uncertain. They'd heard that Wally had been treated less than wonderfully by their counterparts in other dimensions, but seeing it was a lot different than hearing it. The way he curled into himself, into clone Roy, and flinched whenever they got close, it was heart breaking.

It was Dick who suggested that Wally get some more rest as a doctor came to check on Wally. The results looked good, and the doctor was sure that with more rest the residual weakness would fade and his body would adjust to the strain as it began to heal. While using his speed wasn't banned, the doctor made sure that Wally and all those in the room with him knew that it would only strain his body further and slow the healing process.

Clone Roy and Dick left to find real Roy, vowing that they would return once they made sure the original archer wasn't threatening any doctors or Leaguers to tell them about the incident and whether or not he could interrogate the villains. It could happen. Hal and Barry followed them out, albeit Barry was more reluctant to leave his newly recovered nephew alone, but Wally assured him that he would be perfectly fine. He had, however, asked that they send Batman in for a quick chat before Wally went back to rest.

“Wally,” Batman said, entering a few minutes later. “What do you need?” It was so like Batman to ask what he needed instead of whether or not he was okay. 'Okay' was relative. 'Okay' was the thin line between alive and dead. It was the last thing standing before make or break. It made him smile.

“Can you…” Wally frowned, momentarily thinking about how to word his request. Batman waited patiently for him to continue. “I need some… assurances that no one will stop me from running if I feel unsafe,” Wally said, rolling the word 'assurances' with a strange feeling on his tongue. He hoped Batman knew that he didn't think anyone would harm him but it was just his experiences that made him feel vulnerable. And quite frankly, being back on the Watchtower, confined to the Medbay, stuck in space with the Justice League, was _not_ what he'd call his safe haven.

Batman nodded, a small, understanding smile on his face. “I promise,” he promised Wally. “When you're more rested we can talk more. We're not going to push you to do anything you don't want to do, okay Wally?” When Wally nodded, he reached out, hesitantly before noting how Wally didn't react with fear, and stroking Wally's ginger locks gently. “Whatever happens next is whatever you decide,” he said as he turned and left the room, flipping the lights out.

Wally felt oddly better despite himself. It was strange to feel so light, especially when he was in the Watchtower. Honestly, he kind of wanted to be back in his hotel room or spending the night with the Rogues. After all he's been through, there are some questions of his own that he needs answering. First and foremost: this is his dimension, but is it still his home? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone okay with the length so far? Trying to figure out how this is going to end, but my muse just keeps singing and I keep typing. I swear I have a little bit of power here. Just a tiny bit though.
> 
> Next up: Wally gets a call, but this one isn't on any cell phone.


	31. Knock Knock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally gets a long distance call.

The second day in the Watchtower was calm, despite how much Wally hated the doctors coming to check on him. He was feeling better. Had more strength back. He even felt like eating Chinese (which when he told the doctors, they quickly vetoed that).

Batman was holding up his end of the bargain. The door to the Medbay was locked from the inside for anyone who Wally didn't want to see. He felt the need to quickly veto Superman from it and a few of the other Leaguers. He wasn't especially feeling up to seeing Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, or John Stewart either, so they were put on the list as well. It made him feel bad at first, until memories kicked in and then he was left feeling somewhat safer.

Those that could visit him, did. The Roys never left his side. Dick wandered around, always returning with a sweet treat for him. Oliver came in, bow and arrows mysteriously missing, but Wally let it slide. Hal tried to sneak him a bag of burgers and fries until the doctors caught him. It was funny to see him look so meek beneath their glares. Barry came for a short period wanting to know if Wally was ready to see his Aunt Iris, which Wally shut down. He just wasn't ready. Even though Barry was clearly hurt by it, he nodded and left, citing work and 'to not get his ass kicked by his wife'.

And things were going well for him. He had space. Rest. Those treats that Dick slipped him. His friends.

Then they were talking about the best way to rob a bank, of all things, when a thrumming vibration filled the air. Dick was the first one to notice the glass of water at Wally's bedside was rippling out from the inside. “What the fuck--!?” Everyone's attention followed his. Everyone except.. Wally. Wally, who could feel the vibration in his bones.

The way it washed over him made him tremble at first, until it felt like it was banging on his head. Then it hit him. This was what Cisco had been talking about. This was the “knocking” on another dimension specific for Speedsters. It made him grumble and he tore out his IV, pulling himself out of bed and speed changed.

The Roys, Dick, Oliver, and Hal watched as Wally sped out of the room. Despite being at a slower pace, they were still behind him as they raced to follow him, shouting for him to stop and tell them what was wrong. It took them longer than it would've taken the Flash but Wally wasn't tip-top either so there was that.

They arrived at the Communications Center to see Wally tearing into a part of the system, fiddling with wires and then with the controls. When another Leaguer made to pull him away, the Roys growled at him and told him to shove off before they feathered him. They shrugged when Hal gave them a funny look, but hey, the others were about to threaten the poor sucker too.

“Cisco you monkey's uncle's godfather...” They heard Wally mumble to himself, irritated. “'Cisco'?” Dick mouthed to the Roys, who were looking at him for answers in return. A quick glance at Hal and Oliver assured them that they were just as lost.

A static shrill echoed throughout the room before there was a quick beep and suddenly on the monitor, there was a man. A man who looked to be perhaps of South American descent with shoulder length black hair. “Wally --” Wally cut him off. “Grodd's bananas, Cisco. You didn't tell me it would be like getting my head bashed in,” Wally snapped at him. The man, Cisco, looked sheepish. “My bad, sorry Mini Flash,” he said.

Wally frowned at him and huffed, “Not a Mini Flash, _Vibe._ Kid Flash.” Cisco smiled, apologetically. “Righty-o. Anyways, how's the weather? Flash and Arrow say 'hi' by the way. So does Captain Cold, which is a little strange, but you grew on him. Although I guess it's not that strange since you told us you were close with the Cold of your dimension. And---”

“Cisco!”

Cisco look sufficiently embarrassed at his ramblings. “What's wrong,” Wally asked, gently. It was Cisco's turn to huff. “You really are like a mind reader. If I hadn't of seen the way you zoomed into S.T.A.R. Labs that first day I still might not believe how much of a true Speedster you are.”

“Fine,” Cisco said when he saw Wally raise an inquisitive eyebrow. “There's some chatter I picked up about a few dimensions it seems like you visited.”

The observing heroes watched as Wally's posture changed, tensed, and saw his face pale. “Who,” Wally bit out, body trembling slightly. Cisco was quick to reply, “No, well, mainly just one. The others can shove it, but you know, I mean… Not the bad ones. They don't need shit from you. They can shove it so far up their --”

“Cisco,” Wally interrupted him. “They put my records on digital files, didn't they?” The man looked smaller on screen than before as he replied, sheepishly, “Yup.” Wally groaned and ran fingers through his hair in a show of exhaustion and frustration. “How far?”

“Word's spreading in Dimension XSA.” Wally relaxed a little. It wasn't that bad, perhaps? “There's also some chatter here about it, but we have some help cleaning up the rumor mill. Don't worry, we've got it contained,” Cisco assured Wally, who nodded absently.

“XSA,” Wally mumbled to himself. “What was it,” Cisco thought. “SWORD?” Wally interrupted, “SHIELD.” Cisco nodded, “Right. SHIELD. Anyways, they're working to get the situation there under control, raiding bases and shutting down any activity they can.” Wally nodded, absentmindedly and asked, “Keep me posted?” Cisco just smiled and assured him that he would.

“Switching gears for a second,” Cisco said, pulling the conversation elsewhere. “Why do you look like crap?” Wally raised an eyebrow again, looking mildly insulted at Cisco's description of his appearance. “Dude,” Cisco scolded him, “You totally look like you should be in a hospital. Like, you're all pale and shaky and shit.” Wally winced slightly, but it was enough that anyone, even the man on the screen could see. “You were in the hospital,” Cisco stated, eyebrows scrunched together.

“Who did it? Oliver is totally willing to go over there and kill the bastard who hurt you.” Oliver, who's eyes had been glazed in thought suddenly snaps to attention at the phrase. “Say what?” He asks, eyes wide. Everyone, excluding the two conversing look at him with a strange, questioning gaze. Oliver holds his hands up, shaking his head in submission.

Wally smirks a little at the man, which makes the Roys' brows furrow in confusion. “He does remember that the Hood killed people and the Arrow doesn't, right?” Cisco snorted in amusement. “Yeah, he says 'no'.” Wally lets out a bark of laughter, true laughter, that seems to echo throughout the room. It makes his friends smile a little, even if they don't get the amusing bit, they're just happy to hear him laugh so freely.

“Typical bow and arrow brawn,” Wally mumbles, loud enough that Oliver pouts and the Roys just shrug because hey it's Wally.

“So… who did it, kid,” Cisco asks, eyeing Wally and his ability to side-step issues. Seems it was a habit that had been picked up by others. “No _body_ ,” he replies, emphasizing the 'body' part, which Cisco catches on to. “Okay then, what did it?” Wally sighs, energy draining from his body, clear for anyone looking at him to see. “We had our own Singularity here,” he responds, wincing a little.

Cisco's face falls and his eyes darken a little. “Shit, kid. What happened?” Wally rolls a shoulder in a shrug. “Bad guys. Bomb. Suddenly black hole in the sky above Central.” Everyone grimaces in the room, even Cisco does. “Thanks to you guys I was able to close it though.” Wally gestures to his weak form, “I did push myself a little to far though.” The Roys and Dick scoff in the background while Cisco frowns.

“Caitlin says to get plenty of rest and eat a lot of high cal nutrients,” Cisco says as his eyes inspect Wally, who nods. There's a small stretch of silence that's finally broken by Cisco's sigh. “Well, I'll keep an eye on the situations, but for now it's being worked on. Just be careful, okay Wally?” Wally smiles at the man. “As careful as stealing food from Oliver's plate,” he quips and it makes Cisco laugh as the transmission ends and the screen fades to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest appearance went to Cisco.  
> What did you think? (I totally have to add him to the list of characters on this work.)
> 
> Next time: Wally wants to meet the Team but does he have to explain the call first?


	32. Things Don't Disappear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally's worried. About a lot. He's got some things figured out, but more problems keep popping up. His past doesn't want him to forget what he's been through.

Wally sighs and sinks into a chair as the communication ends. His head is spinning a little from the news. Somehow the wrong kind of people are finding out about his _unique_ abilities. Speed is great. Speed + dimension hopping = some serious shit. Imagine being able to steal tech, money, anything from another dimension. It's not pretty.

Wally is not ready to become an experiment. At the thought his breath hitches and he closes his eyes tightly to stop the walls from crashing down on him. His body shudders with fear. He really doesn't want to be an experiment. Not again. Not an experiment, much less a prisoner, but what's the difference anymore?

“Kid?” Wally hears a voice and tries to force his eyes to focus. Tries to force himself to remember that his lungs need oxygen and that sound like wheezing is coming from his mouth. “Kid, you need to calm down.” As if he didn't know that. As if he's not trying.

He feels a hand on his chest and another on his back as hot breath hits his ear. “Ssshh.. In and out. Slow it down, okay?” Wally feels utterly embarrassed when a pathetic whimper escapes his mouth. “Ssshh.. It's okay. You're safe. It's Roy. Roy's here too. So is Dick.” He frowns, scrunching up his face in concentration. “Hal and Oliver are the clueless nut cases who have no idea what to do.” The quip makes Wally laugh shakily. It's enough to remind him where he is and who he's with.

“That's right,” someone says as his breathing slows. “You're safe.” Wally huffs because seriously? If this is because they're 'heroes' he knows for a fact that even heroes can turn on you. He bites down on that thought. Whoever it is that said it, he _is_ safe here. With the Roys. With Dick. Even with Hal and Oliver.

Wally calms down enough to recognize his friends. They smile at him as he gives a breathy sigh. They think that he's calmed down enough for them. Wally feels normal enough to give them a small smile in return, trying to reassure them because he can see the worry in their eyes, even if the rest of their faces seem fine enough.

“I'm okay, guys. Just kind of freaked out there for a second,” Wally tells them. The nods of understanding he gets are a bit doubtful, but they let it slide. Wally's always been a fan of when they let it slide.

Hands slip under his body and pick him up. Wally's face turns upwards to see the one carrying him. He can't help it when his eyes widen at the identity of the person. It's Batman. Jaw clenched with what's either anger or worry, or the desire to beat some criminal into submission. It's hard to tell with him.

“Batsss~” Wally whines. His face is flushed with embarrassment. He can just feel the stares from all the other League members that he's getting. Honestly, he may look like he's fourteen… or thirteen… or… He hates to admit it.. twelve… But he's an adult at heart and this is just ridiculous. He can move under his own will, but the glare he gets, despite having no real heat to it, is enough to make him shut his mouth.

Giving in, he allows Batman to carry him back to the Medbay room, letting his head loll against the dark knight. He swears Batman wasn't this protective of him before he went missing. …Was he? Or had Wally simply not noticed it over his Uncle Barry's overprotective tendencies? 'Food for thought,' he it away for later contemplation.

Wally hadn't noticed that Batman had already set him down on his temporary bed and was now looking him over. “I'm fine, Bats, honest. Just got a little tired and.. well, overwhelmed.” Wally can just feel the curious raised eyebrow from behind Batman's cowl. Yikes, there is nothing that can stop a curious bat. Vaguely he wonders where the others are and why they aren't in the room with them.

“The man, Cisco, he's my friend. He called from his dimension. He's a meta. He works with his dimension's Flash and sometimes Arrow. I kind of wandered in one day to their base and well, that's how we met.” Wally smiles. He remembers that day. It was so freakin' weird. And that damn wall. Damn it.

“It was a good dimension. Well, there were heroes and villains, so there was a ton of craziness, but they cared for me,” Wally leans back on the bed, closing his eyes. “They had a Singularity, er.. a black hole happen above their Central City too. Flash was able to close it and they told me about how he did. That's how I knew how to deal with the situation.”

Batman nodded, even though he knew Wally couldn't see it. “You did a good job,” he murmured to the young Speedster. Wally cracked his eyes open to see Batman smile gently at him. Despite the weirdness of a “gentle smile” from the dark knight, Wally smiled back, sleepy half-closed eyes beaming with pride.

Shuffling from the doorway grabbed their attention and they noticed Hal and Oliver standing there awkwardly trying to ignore the fact that Batman had been smiling. “The others?” Batman asked. “Cafeteria,” Oliver answered. Batman just nodded, accepting that.

Turning to leave, he was stopped when he heard Wally's soft voice. “Hey Bats?” Batman turned his head slightly to let him know he heard. “After I take a nap… Can I.. Can I see the Team?” It made Batman frown a little with concern for Wally. He'd been told that there were some issues with the Team from another dimension. Perhaps he was just being overprotective. Wally had been able to handle Oliver, Barry, Dick, Hal and himself after all, even if it was from a bit of a distance.

Receiving a nod, Wally let himself slip asleep.

He had been asleep for an hour or so when a nightmare filled with burning pain woke him up with a hiss. Wally's eyes jerked open and he promptly rolled over, rolling off his bed and landing heavily on the cold, hard floor. “Son of a –“ He bit out as he curled up, grabbing his throbbing knee. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Ignoring tears wetting his cheeks, he massaged and clung to his knee. Logically, he knew that he wasn't hurt. It was ghost pain, compliments of his nightmare based on a memory of having his knee broken but _damn_ did it hurt.

“Wally,” an urgent, concerned voice called as footsteps raced over to him.

He forced himself to look up at the figuring kneeling over him. It was Oliver. “Shit kid,” he muttered with worry in his eyes. “Are you okay? Do I need to get the doctor?” Wally just shook his head, teeth clenched.

“Ghost pain,” he spat out between smalls gasps of pain. “Had a nightmare.”

Oliver didn't ask and Wally was secretly grateful. “Here, let's get you back on the bed,” he reached out to Wally before he froze with a sudden though. “Can I...” Help him. That's what he wanted to ask. Wally bobbed his head. “Yeah, s'okay...”

Gently Oliver curled his arms around the young Speedster and picked him up so carefully Wally could've been made of glass. It was… sweet. Wally wanted to protest the delicate touches but with the way his body tensed under the archer's touch, Wally was grateful to him.

He laid the Speedster on the bed, watching as Wally curled again to clung to his knee. “How… did it happen..?” Oliver asked, hesitantly. “Mm?” Wally caught Oliver's eyes and realized what he meant. “Ahhh… In one of the dimensions.. I got caught in the wrong fight and well.. couldn't move in time...”

“It wasn't...” Wally just shook his head. “It wasn't you Uncle Ollie.” Oliver nodded slowly. He was relieved to see the way the pain seemed to be fading from his pseudo-nephew's body. Slowly, he was unwinding, his tense muscle was relaxing and he stretched out carefully in the bed.

Oliver plopped down in the chair by the bed and was suddenly lost in his thoughts, imaging just who could possibly be the culprit. When a hand clapped down on his shoulder, he jumped. Turning his head, he ignored Wally's snickers to see Batman behind him, looking amused. “Jeez Bats!”

Batman just grinned a little before schooling his features and looked over to Wally. “The Team is waiting to meet you.” Those words had Wally tensing up all over again. “Unless you need more time.” But it was the gentle way Batman asked that had Wally saying, “No, I need to do this.”

Without questioning it, Batman nodded. “The Zeta beam is ready to take you to a nearby location. I thought you might like to meet in a more… open environment.” When Wally raised a curious eyebrow, Batman explained. “Central City Park.” It sounded better and allowed him to stop panicking as much.

Of course Wally needed some help walking. Especially after that nightmare. He allowed Batman to help him change (much to his embarrassment) and help him limp to the Zeta beam. It seemed Oliver and Batman would be going with him. It was dark enough for the bat after all, even if it was Central.

With those two by his side, he could only hope that he really was ready to meet the Team. His old team again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd give you an early Easter present. Or an early Saturday present (whichever you prefer).  
> What do you think? I know there was speculation about what Cisco and Wally were talking about.
> 
> Next time: Wally meets... well... reconnects with the Team.


	33. Our Former Teammate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late gathering in Central City Park has Conner's heart aching and the Team finds out who their guest was.

Arriving at the location, he found some the answer to where his friends had gone. The Roys, Dick, Barry and Hal were there, some in uniform and some not so much.

“I was wondering where you'd gone. Thought you might have been kidnapped by the Tooth Fairy,” Wally effortlessly quipped. It was easier to retain humor then it was to restrain his anxiety.

The Roys scoffed. “The Tooth Fairy? Seriously?” Dick just looked amused.

“You okay, kid?” Barry asked, noticing how Wally leaned on Batman and Oliver stuck close to his other side. Wally waved off his concern. “Ghost pain,” he reassured them, “nothing to worry about.” His reassurance didn't do much to relieve their concern, but they left it alone. Ghost pain it may have been, but Wally was more than great with taking the Roy express.

 

* * *

 

It's gotten darker as the Team gathers in Central City park at Batman's request. Everyone's confused. Robin isn't taking the confusion well and Kid Flash is practically vibrating in place. It's kind of annoying to Conner but he'll knock the younger one out if it gets to be much worse.

M'gann and Kaldur are talking with Artemis, who's now Tigress after she left the Team for missions on her own terms. It seems to be going well for her. She took the whole Wally disappearing bit hard. Maybe it was because she had always picked on him, but after he was gone she just kind of zoned out a lot until she cut contact and became Tigress.

Conner wonders if she liked him. He's not the best at social cues, but he tries. Sometimes it's just not enough.

“Oh come on, why are we just waiting here? Seriously what's the issue? It's not a mission, but we're all freakin' here for some reason,” Bart rambles, growing impatient with the situation. Robin just shrugs. “Batman doesn't tell me everything.”

Bart huffs in annoyance and taps his leg at a blurred pace. He almost looks like Wally when he was annoyed. It makes Conner's chest feel tight and he frowns. He wonders what Wally's doing. Where he is. The overwhelming urge to just ditch whatever meeting this is and race to find him is almost too much to bare.

“Conner?” A voice interrupts his desire to find Wally. Conner tilts his head to look at M'gann. “What's wrong?” She's looking at him with concern written in her eyes and it makes him frown more. He doesn't like that look. He can't tell her though, so he just shakes his head.

By this point, he realizes that everyone's watching him and it makes him shift, irritated. He wishes they'd look elsewhere.

“Hey, look!” One of the newer members of the Team says, probably Blue Beetle. Everyone's attention snaps over to where he's looking.

It's the Roys and Dick, even Batman, Green Arrow, Flash and Green Lantern. He could hear the murmurs of the rest of the Team, wondering about why they were all gathering together. Everyone except Flash and Green Lantern were in their uniforms, but Conner knew that could be changed with no trouble at all.

He counted subconsciously. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. ..Eight heartbeats? He frowned, recounting until he realized he hadn't been mistaken. That obviously led him to sharpen his sight on the heroes. He finally spotted a lump on one of the Roys' backs. It was small. A little smaller than Bart.

Bart. Conner blinked in realization. It was Wally. Superboy felt like he knew exactly what Speedsters went through when they got overexcited. He felt like he could vibrate with the desire to get them over there faster. It took all he had to not run over there and meet them.

Nightwing, Arsenal, and Red Arrow remained behind the older heroes as they gathered the Team, both old and new together. Batman started talking about the visitor, leaving out his identity and going over how important it was that everyone remain at a distance. Conner wasn't paying attention. He was watching as Wally slipped from Red Arrow's back and remained behind the two archers who formed a protective stance in front of him.

It made his heart ache to hear his old friend's heartbeat increase with fear as Batman motioned him forward. The two archers didn't even leave his side as he huddled behind them and approached the Team.

Batman paused in what he was going to say, seeming to be a little unsure of how to introduce him. So Conner stepped up. “Wally,” he simply said. He ignored the gasps of disbelief from the others and smiled at Wally. It was a bit sad when he saw fear in Wally's eyes, but Wally was able to give him a small smile in return and a small wave. “Hi, guys.”

There's a silence that washes over the area. Conner can hear the nervous heartbeats of the older heroes and he can practically hear the way the Team's hearts have stopped in shock. It's a dead silence that reminds him of the eerie lack of noise when Wally had disappeared a year ago and it turns his Kryptonian stomach.

“Is this a joke?” Bart asks, voice flat and eyes searching Wally. Conner raises an eyebrow. He thought the Speedster would be the first one to run over and hug Wally. To see him so skeptical… It makes him frown.

“No,” Flash steps forward. “It's him.”

Even when Flash confirms that it's him, Bart hesitates, looking to the Roys and to Nightwing. They nod their support that it really is him. Conner and Flash are the only ones who see Bart zip up to Wally, but it's Flash who comes between the two. “Hold on there, Bart,” he says, hand on Bart's shoulder.

Conner listens to Flash explain why it's not a good idea to “pounce” on Wally like he used to. He explains how Wally's been through a lot and there are some people who he can't be in close quarters with. It's all in Speedster – super speed. Conner and Wally are the only ones able to listen and understand their conversation, although Conner misses a few things when it gets faster.

Flash was the one who stopped Bart and when M'gann starts to fly over to Wally, Conner is there, stopping her from getting closer. Luckily he doesn't have to be the one to explain why hugging and getting close to him are a bad idea. Batman takes over that and Wally just looks sheepish as eyes run over his small form.

M'gann is the only one trying to maintain a smile, albeit a sad one, while the others are frowning sadly at Wally. Conner can tell he doesn't like it by the way he leans into Red Arrow. Honestly, he doesn't like it either.

After Batman's explanation, the Team approaches Wally, slowly, deliberately making sound and staying in his focus. They know well enough to stay out of his comfort zone, even though some of them don't appear happy that the Roys and Dick are allowed in it and they aren't. It's no secret that the four are very close, so it should be obvious.

It's surprisingly easy to slip into conversations, habits from when they were a Team. From when Wally was alive. He still is, Conner knows, but he's not the same. He wonders if the others can tell the way that Wally's eyes darken sometimes with shadows of fear. It makes his heart ache.

Yet Conner can also see the glints of happiness in Wally's eyes. True happiness. “Like coming home” as he'd once been told when the Team had returned from a mission and he'd asked why everyone was so happy.

They talk about the most ridiculous things. The stupidest memories. The way Wally and Nightwing would play pranks on everyone and how M'gann would burn cookies on accident. How Conner and Kaldur would miss certain human social cues. It's funny. It's light-hearted. It's nice to see the way Wally relaxes a little as good memories, happier times, bubble up.

Conner can't help but smile a little. It feels so familiar and warm. He swears this is what Wally was talking about when he mentioned “warm fuzzies”. Wally still snarks with Artemis, but it's more reserved, more contained. Conner can't help but feel like they lost whatever friendship they had before all this happened. Still, he knows that if Wally needs him, he'll be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. Just some run of the mill things that tend to weigh on a person's shoulders.
> 
> Anyways, hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon, as long as I don't get distracted by the Speedster series (but it's likely... apologies beforehand).
> 
> Next up: Another Late Night Visitor


	34. Another Late Night Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally feels burned out after meeting the Team. Thank gosh he's allowed to be alone to pull himself together.  
> At least, he was supposed to be alone. A late night visitor doesn't seem to want him to be too alone.

Wally goes back to his hotel that night. It's late, but he's hungry. Hungry and nervous and his stomach can't decide if he wants to eat or if he just wants to curl up and ride the anxiety out. He feels a guilty joy that none of his friends forced their company on him. He loves them, but he just wants to be alone right now. The passed few days have been rough on him and he feels like he's been burned by emotional whiplashes.

He doesn't even pay attention to anything as he opens his hotel door, throwing a bag of his things that Roy brought for him when he was up at the Watchtower on the bed. Perhaps he should've still been there, but no. He was feeling much better now, physically, at least. He was doing okay emotionally too, but he doesn't think anyone believed that.

He groaned and just jumped on the bed, stomach face down. Wally buried his face in the pillows.

“Busy day?”

The sudden voice made him jump with a yelp. “Holy shit!?” He fell off the side of the bed with a thud, swearing that if it was Batman again, he'd paint the Bat's cowl pink.

His eyes quickly spotted the unexpected visitor. “The fuck Cold--!?” Len's sitting in the hotel chair in full Captain Cold attaire, looking way too pleased with the way he's startled Wally. "Language, Kid," he says with a small smirk.

Wally narrows his eyes, glaring at Cold. "Really?" Cold just shrugs his shoulders in that carefree, "I-can-kick-your-ass-if-I-wanted-to" kind of roll. "Saw what you did a few days ago," Cold explains, running his eyes over Wally's form in an assessing manner.

Wally's lips quirk in a smile. "You were worried about me?" Yeah, he definitely can't hold back that grin. Cold tries to shrug it off again, but Wally knows better. He knows that underneath that ice there's a lot of warm fluff underneath reserved for those he cares about and Wally seems to fit right in there.

" You ran into a black hole," he bluntly says. Wally raises an eyebrow. "Actually I ran around it," Wally corrects him. Cold gives him a look that says he really doesn't care about semantics. "Black hole."

Wally winces at the look, but relents 'cuz yeah, it was a black hole. It does have an offical name though. "It's called a Singularity." Cold raises an eyebrow. He doesn't seem to care about the name. "You almost got yourself killed," Cold grinds out.

Wally frowns because yeah, he could've. Didn't, but he could've. "I knew what I was doing," he says slowly, trying to  think passed all the scientific explanations Cisco and Professor Stein told him. Somehow the science was filling his head and he was pretty sure that Len wasn't a science buff. Sure, he knew how to upgrade his Cold Gun, but black holes? ...Nahhh.

So Wally explains the dynamics of a singularity and how he learned about it in another dimension. It seems to amuse Cold when he tells him that he met his alternate self in that dimension. Rough, gruff, yet on the inside fluff. Did not surprise him one bit. Cold was pleased to know that he was still the kickbutt, "take-no-shit-from-others" kind of thief.

Wally even tells him about the call he got from that dimension. Nobody had asked much about it while he was on the Watchtower. Of course, Wally had mentioned it to Batman a little, but when Cold asks, Wally knows he won't take any bs he could dish out. So Wally explains his "new abilities" and the way Cold frowns with concern and the way his eyes darken tell Wally that he understands why it's a concern, perhaps more than any heroes. Villains know each other and they know exactly what they'd do to succeed.

It's silent for a moment when Wally finishes explaining. Cold is running every possibility through his mind. Wally can tell.

There's a knock on the hotel room door and Wally's eyes shift to Cold, who doesn't appear to be bothered. His eyes narrow at the Rogue leader because if some stranger knocking doesn't bother him, he knows who it is. Cold just snaps, "Answer the door," without any real heat. It's more like fond annoyance if Wally has to name it.

It'd been a pizza delivery guy. No joke. Cold had ordered pizza for him. He'd ordered six pizzas. Ho~ly shit. He'd even prepaid for the order. Only Cold.

It was touching.

Wally set the pizzas on the desk and had zipped over to Cold and thrown his arms around the gruff character. Cold had stiffened in surprise at first and then his arms were wrapping around Wally's small form and tugging him close. Fuck if that hug hadn't felt like the best thing ever (and he was never telling his uncle that. ...Or the Roys. Or Dick). He loved his friends and family and their hugs to death but this was a rare hug that was meant for only the most important people in Cold's life. It meant that he was family to Cold and in turn to the Rogues.

He hugged Cold for five minutes. Cold _let_ him hug him for _five minutes._

"Eat, kid," Cold finally told him when they parted and who was Wally to argue with that smart thinking?

Over halfway through the pizzas, after Cold had even had some, Cold spoke up. "I'll ask around." When Wally looked at him with confusion, cheeks puffed up with pizza and sauce on his lips, Cold explained that he'd make sure to control the information flow about the Speedster. He didn't want word getting out about Wally and his abilities. Making the Rogues' Baby Flash a target for villains was something he wouldn't allow.

The determination to keep him safe made Wally grin. The Rogues had no intention of using him for his power. They wouldn't allow him to be taken and used as a tool for some villain to gain power. Even if the League didn't like the Rogues, Wally would never regret his friendship with them. They might not understand it, but to Wally it was as natural as a Speedster's appetite.

They talked a little more as Wally finished up the rest of the pizza, discussing how the day went and Cold underhandedly got him to admit that he'd met with the Team and how that had gone down.

It was 2AM when Cold finally left, turning before he walked out of the room to look at him. "You're not staying." It was more of a statement really, like he knew things, what Wally was thinking, how he was feeling and just how uncomfortable he still was here. Wally could only smile sadly. "Maybe not."

Cold walked back over to him and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "No matter what you choose, we'll be there for you. You're our Baby Flash." Wally's smile was a brighter this time and that was as good as it was going to get for Cold, who took it with a sense of pride before he left.

Wally stared at the closed door that Cold had walked through. Cold would make it out without anybody ever noticing. He had his ways. Wally swears that Batman would be like that if he were the leader of the Rogues instead of a hero. The presence of Cold had eased his anxieties so much that Wally just slipped into bed as sleepiness overtook him. It was easier knowing that the Rogues would be there if his hero friends couldn't. Wally knew that Rogues, like laws, didn't let anything stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going beyond what I thought it would. I swear I'm trying to find an end point here. I am, honest. Things just keep...getting away from me. But I'll find it!
> 
> Anyways, next up:  
> Len has some insights and some planning to take care of in the next chapter.


	35. What it Means to be a Rogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After listening to Wally's story, Len decides that it's very serious and he can't trust the heroes to keep the kid safe.

Leaving Wally in his hotel room had been difficult for Len, surprisingly so. He'd almost gotten sloppy as he left the hotel under the cover of darkness. Slipping passed their security was so easy, Len was tempted to go back and grab the kid and carry him to one of the Rogues' hideouts to keep him safe. But he was a hero. A kid hero who had experienced more pain then he should've but a hero nonetheless.

Len saultered in the shadows back to the bar where he knew the Rogues would still be. He'd called them there, asked them to gather together. Normally the gathering would be to plan for a new heist, but this time.. this time it was for Wally. They needed to take measures to ensure his safety. While there were heroes that Len was sure would protect the kid if anything happened to him, Len wasn't about to leave his safety up to them. After all, the last time he did that, the kid had vanished off the face of the Earth. So no, he wasn't leaving it up to those damn do-gooders.

Len grimaced as he stepped up to the bar door. Even if his Rogues were able to contain information about the kid, he probably would still go. It made his head spin for a moment, so he propped himself against the door. He didn't want Wally to disappear again. Never again.

He understood, though. There were just too many ill reminders of everything he'd been through. The things he saw in the other dimensions were possibilities and he'd seen a lot of possibilities that ended up with his friends and family hurting him. This was definitely his dimension, of that Len no longer had any doubt, but could he really heal here? Len wasn't sure. He'd probably be better off in a different dimension. One without the League or the Rogues, as much as it pained him to admit.

Len takes a deep breath, letting an icy calm wash over him. There was no way in fuck that he was going to let on just how much he was worried about the kid. He was Captain Cold, leader of the Rogues. He had an image to protect.

Having done that, he opened the door and stepped into the bar. There had been some chatter between the Rogues. Everyone not a part of the Rogues had been long since kicked out. Usually he didn't kick customers out early, but Len prioritizes and this time he was more focused on the kid Speedster who needed someone there to watch his back, whether he admitted it or not.

When Len entered the room, no – when Captain Cold entered the Rogues fell silent, their eyes latching onto his attire. It's Cold. Cold means business.

"Alright everyone, gather round," Cold commands, watching as everyone gravitates to the tables in the center, sitting. "Kid's okay," Cold tells them, unsurprised at the outbreak of chatter. He glares at them which promptly quiets the thieves. "He's alright. Just a bit shaken."

There's a collective breath of relief that spreads through the bar. Everyone had been worried when they saw bolts of lightning running up to the black hole in the sky. It was a certain kind that had a certain feel to it. And it wasn't Flash. It had been their Baby Flash and that had worried them extremely. They'd been especially worried after a lack of information on the kid's condition. He'd vanished and that – that had troubled them.

"We have some work to do, though." It makes him proud to see how his Rogues straighten up, posture stiff and all business. They knew when to be serious. Even James. "Kid got a call from a friend in another dimension. Seems there are some rumors spreading about his abilities, especially his traveling through dimensions." There are nods with a grim expression. That ability could be extremely useful for criminals, they know.

Stealing from other dimensions, from dimensions more advanced, creating contacts... It would be useful.

"His friends are taking care of it on their end, but we need to make sure no rumors spread here and if there are any, that they are contained and stopped," Cold continued. "That means we need to start branching out. If you have contacts in other cities, use them. As of now, Central City's criminals are moving. Anyone who pulls a heist on their own, robs on their own, will no longer be under the protection of the Rogues."

He pauses in his speech to run his eyes over the Rogues for any sign of discomfort and rebellion, but there is none. Their eyes are shining with determination and purpose. It's the kind of shine that he's only ever seen in relation to the kid and their heists. But this time it's something more. It's not a heist. It's not any of the criminal activity that they done before.

"I know we're the Rogues – the thieves of Central City and he's a hero. But he's also part of our little family. He has heroes on his side, but sometimes it's not enough. We all have heard what happens when heroes go bad or make mistakes. The kid has been through a lot already. We couldn't save him last time, but this time we can. We can do what the heroes can't. Kid Flash," his voice softens a little, because they all know, it's just never been said aloud, "Wally is our Baby Flash and we take care of our own."

It's silent for a moment more before grins spread on their faces and they raise their voices and hands, cheering in agreement. Then the entire place is transformed as they get down to it. It's late and he's sure they want to be sleeping or watching movies, but here they are planning and fingering through their contacts to see who's got information. At the same time, they're also spreading the word through Central's criminal network.

Flash has never seen how far the Rogues' reach extends. Cold's not even sure Batman knows the whole truth. Maybe they'll find out in the future. Maybe not. But this is for Kid Flash, for Wally. Besides, it's about time they pulled one over on the Justice League.

Cold settles down with some of the Rogues and starts to plan and call his own contacts. He vaguely wonders what the League will think of any lulls in criminal activity. It makes him smirk. Let them wonder. Being nice to Kid Flash didn't mean he had to make nice with the League. Nope. Not at all.

Still, this wasn't about pulling the wool over the Leagues' eyes, although that was a bonus. It was about keeping their Baby Flash safe. They weren't willing to lose him again and when it came to the Rogues, they didn't do anything they weren't willing to do. If they wanted something, they took it. That's what it meant to be Rogues.

And whether Kid Flash decided to stay here or not, they were going to be there for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have no idea why I decided to make this chapter so dramatic, but powerful, "I'm-in-charge" Len just had to be seen.
> 
> I'm also extremely clueless as to what will happen next. So I'm going to have to daydream on this. No promises on a chapter tomorrow or the next day, but I like daydreaming, so we'll see when inspiration hits.
> 
> Thank you~


	36. Answers that Breed Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the League and Team are freaking out over the lull in criminal activity, Wally finds himself in a forest outside Central, waiting for his uncle to tell him a few things that only a Speedster could understand.

As it turns out the League definitely noticed what was going on with the Rogues. Suddenly Central City was devoid of crime. Sure there were still some minor, petty crimes, but nothing like bank robberies. Drug cartels just seemed to vanish over the span of a few days. And then the crime rates were falling throughout all the major cities in the country.

It put the League ill at ease. They shuffled their feet and tried to dig into any underworld contacts they had. The most they got was that orders came along the line, whispers, rumors of a group that was asking questions and keeping things quiet. Even their contacts were hush hush, sometimes scared.

No one had any idea what was going on. Not even Batman or Question. No one except Wally. He _was_ the one who told Len about his situation, so when Central's villains went silent, Wally knew that underneath the silence the Rogues were making noise. He couldn't help but smirk when Dick remarked about how eerie it was.

He had a hand it to the Rogues, the League was about ready to go batshit crazy over this. It wasn't a prank or anything, but it was funny to see some of his favorite heroes nervous. Although he admits it shouldn't be. Lulls in criminal activity rarely happened and when they did, they usually didn't mean anything good.

Plus there was the fact that the Rogues were doing this to protect him. It made him smile softly after he could get over the humor of the thieves one-upping the heroes. He wondered what it would be like to tell them that this lull, this criminal silence was all because a group of criminals wanted to protect one of their own. Which 'their' would always depend on which side was claiming him, but personally, he felt like a member of both groups.

And right now, he didn't need to be thinking about that. Wally shuffled his feet nervously as he looked around the forest. He was waiting in a forest outside Central City for his uncle. There were a few things he wanted to tell his uncle and he did miss him, even if he was afraid of getting a hand vibrated through him for some irrational reason. Not that it was irrational since.. well it had happened. It just wasn't the same person even if their faces were the _exact_ same and Wally really needs to stop thinking about that.

There's a familiar ripple that jerks him out of his thoughts and he's never been so happy to be interrupted and brought back into the slowness that is reality. It takes a second but there he is, Flash, standing right in front of him as leaves shudder in the breeze every Speedster creates. His uncle's cowl is down and he can see his face. It's hesitant and he remains outside Wally's personal space, which he doesn't hate actually.

“So, how are you?” His uncle asks and he knows that's a valid question, but it sounds so much like those ice breakers, probably because it is. And Wally can only tell him that he's doing better, because he is. He feels the shadows fading slowly, too slowly but still they're fading.

“I.. um… have something to tell you. I would've told Bats but it's not really his thing and he reallywouldn'tunderstandsoIthoughtI'dbetterjusttellyouand--” Barry cuts him off. “Ssh, kid. You're rambling.” Not like they couldn't understand each other with super speed, it's just yeah, he is rambling. Slowing down might ensure he doesn't ramble as often. So he takes a breath.

“That day.. when I disappeared – before I disappeared when we were siphoning the energy, I saw someone. Some _thing_.” His uncle nods, head inclined to assure that he's listening, patiently – which is saying something for a Speedster.

“I didn't know what – who” Wally makes a frustrated face “it was at first but..”

“I saw him, you know?” Wally shuffles and awkwardly kicks the ground. Barry cocks his head to the side, face wrinkling in confusion. “Who?”

“The Black Speedster.”

Even from afar Wally could tell that Barry's body tensed as a mixture of fear and shock rippled throughout his body. It was what Wally had felt, albeit a bit less strong. Seeing the Black Speedster in person was like seeing the end of your life. “He – _It_ exists. Just like Max said.”

And God – _Max_ – has anyone told Max? Or _Jay?_ He shakes his head and decides he'll think on that later.

Barry's mouth opens and closes, emotions like curiosity and worry fluttering in his eyes. “Wally...” He wants to tell Wally that it's not possible and that the Black Speedster doesn't exist. But… there are a great many things that he's seen. Heck, Barry's been on missions in space and met aliens for Christ's sake. Maybe the Black Speedster could exist. Maybe it was more than just an old Speedster tale.

Wally shudders, memories bubbling up. “It was there. When we were fighting the REACH.” Barry's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He hadn't seen anything. No one else had. Surely they'd have said seeing a Speedster in black.

“Only I could see him. I asked Bart, but he couldn't. Just me.” Wally meets Barry's eyes, a sense of brokenness in his gaze. “I could've gotten away.” Anger fills his voice, something akin to self-loathing. “If I'd just run away that day _I could've gotten away_.” With that all the confused anger falls apart and gives way to emptiness. “But I couldn't let the REACH win… I just couldn't.”

Barry listens, fists clenched so tightly he's sure that he's bleeding. His heart certainly is. He'd felt so much pain and guilt over not being able to save him back then and then having to feel it all over again after hearing everything Wally's been through (he knows there's more too). Now, hearing that Wally could've gotten away but chose not to, it only amplifies the heartbreak and self-hatred he feels for himself. “Wally...” His voice cracks with a sad emotion, but Wally just shakes his head.

“I was with it there one moment and the next…” Wally draws a breath for courage. “The next, I was slipping into the Speedforce with all the energy I was collecting and sifting through.” Shaking his head again, he looks down. “It was wonderful there, Uncle Barry.” It's said with a kind of entranced awe. “Wonderful, and so so _terrible_.”

He proceeds to tell Barry what it was like, floating in eternal movement, feeling peaceful and panicked all at the same time. Feeling fearful and at home. Never wanting to leave, but knowing he had to try.

Barry and Wally part, leaving Barry's eyes opened to things he didn't know existed. Events he wasn't aware had happened. And feeling more confused and convoluted than he had arrived. Wally leaves feeling a little lighter and with the flashed images of the past a bit more murky and faded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter, most of it anyways, was already pre-written - an idea that had sprung up before I wrote the last ten chapters or so. I know many of you were looking forward to more freaking out by the heroes and maybe it will come to that. There was even mention of a visitor from another universe coming for Wally (which does intrigue me), but I really wanted to have this little chat between Wally and his uncle.
> 
> Anyways, I will brainstorm ideas for the next chapter. (But I'm going to warn you, I keep starting new works like I can actually write six fanfics at once...)
> 
> (PS: I am so sorry that I haven't updated sooner like I hoped I was... I got sidetracked with Avenging Justice.)
> 
> PPS: Theme song for this work/Wally traveling through dimensions is "Mind Heist: Evolution" by Zack Hemsey.


	37. Don't Look at Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry freaks out about the Black Speedster.  
> Wally does some more thinking and then there's a new arrival.

Barry's head is spinning with the new information Wally's revealed to him. He doesn't know whether to laugh at the irony of Max being right or freak out because Wally said he saw the Black Speedster. He's halfway into Central when he remembers that he just let Wally go. _Alone._

So fuck, he makes a detour and swings by the Rogues' bar, which is luckily barely crowded. It's even luckier when he finds Cold there with some other Rogues, bent over some papers that make him curious, but he doesn't ask. He just flashes in there, leaves a note ( _Keep an eye on the kid)_ , and races out with a burst of wind in his wake to let them know the note just didn't appear out of thin air, although he reasons to them it probably did.

That done (because he reasons that if Wally went to them first, they wouldn't mind taking care of him) Flash skids to a stop inside Mount Justice. He hears the familiar whacking and shallow breaths of training.

Without caring, he flashes into the training room, dodging all of the attacks and snatching Bart, who's the only one who can even see Flash and runs out of the room ignoring Dinah and Batman. He can barely hear the shouts of surprise as he and Bart enter the Zeta beams and teleports up to the Watchtower.

It's unexpected, but he doesn't care. He'll probably get an earful from everyone later, but he takes Bart and flashes into a secure room. It's in space so he reasons that they're safe. He's not sure. He's running on pure confused panic. Can the Black Speedster find them? If Bart really couldn't see him, could Barry? Would it be any use to run? If there's one thing a Speedster can't outrun, it's another Speedster.

Yeah, if what Wally said is true and if what Max says about the Black Speedster, things are going to be a lot different from now on. They've had Speedster villains, but Speedster death guides/omens? Yeahhh.. no, this changes things.

–

By this time, Wally had moved into a temporary apartment in Central by himself. It had been almost a month since he'd arrived – returned? Since he made it here. He still did patrols in Central. He knew the Rogues were leading the drop in crime, but there were still those who weren't associated with the Rogues, crimes of passion, accidents. Just because there were no Rogues committing robberies didn't mean that he could take a break.

Wally's heard of what his uncle had done and knew just what was going on in his uncle's head, because he'd had the same kind of thoughts. That was a scary idea. That the Speedforce had its own.. Grim Reaper type character.

Wally frowned as he sat on the balcony of his apartment, watching the Sun go down. He rested his head against the metal frame of the guardrails. He'd been thinking a lot lately, about everything. His nightmares hadn't gone away and he still sometimes saw ghosts of the other dimensions in the faces of his friends and family.

He shuddered.

How could he stay when there was still that fear… such selfish fear that he'd open his eyes and they'd hurt him.. That his friends.. that Dick and Bats and his uncle… That they'd all hurt him and it just wasn't fair. Sure he'd been doing better but.. It wasn't enough yet. Would he ever be normal again?

Wally scoffed. 'Normal? I can run faster than a jet. How am I _normal_? Seriously, what kid runs around in a mixed polymer spandex fighting bad guys?' He did have to admit that kicking ass and taking names was totally awesome. He didn't regret it. He just wanted to… he wanted things back to the way they were. Before he was thrown to another dimension. Before his friends and family's alternate selves laid their hands on him.

Wally sighed and leaned into the guardrail's cool metal.

“ _Watchtower to Kid Flash!”_

Wally jerked up, banging his head on the guardrail. “Shit!” He was going to have a nice sized bump on his head for a while.

“Bol-- Kid Flash here, go ahead Watchtower,” he replied into the comm, resigned. It must be urgent for them to actually contact him. They weren't really supposed to do that, Bats' orders. And they were calling him 'Kid Flash'. Seriously? He told them he was Bolt now. Wally was going to have some words.

“We're reading a spatial anomaly outside Central City, identical to the one we picked up with your arrival.”

Wally froze. 'Not normal. Weird.' He shook his head clear of any panicked delusions. 'First – investigate.'

“I'll be right there,” he responded after he'd been given the specific location and before changing into his Bolt uniform and zipping out of his apartment too fast for the human eye to see.

Wally flashed to a halt on outside the limits of Central City, brows furrowing with confusion. It did _feel_ like a dimensional energy signature, but there was something different about it.

This energy signature wasn't fully connected. It was kind of like a tunnel that hadn't been completed yet. That and there were no traces of Speedforce energy. _That_ bothered him. Had someone made it through without the use of the Speedforce? More importantly, _who?_

“ _Bolt, what is it?”_ He heard Batman speak in his comm, the sound of engines in the background enough to recognize that he was headed there at top speed. “Someone or something's coming. The tunnel between dimensions isn't complete yet, but there's definitely someone coming through.”

Wally hesitated for a moment before admitting, “It's not like when I travel, Bats. This energy doesn't have a trace of Speedforce to it.”

“ _So it's not another Speedster.”_

“No,” Wally confirmed as I felt more than heard Flash and Kid Flash skid to a stop behind him. “I don't know who or what's coming.” Wally turned to glance at the two behind him and he could see the worried, anxious looks on their faces.

“ _Could it be someone from a dimension you traveled to?”_

Wally's body stiffened at the frightening thought and he swallowed his fear forcefully. “It's possible.”

“… _Arsenal, Red Arrow, and Nightwing are almost to your location.”_

Wally bit his lip as he watched a small hole form and electric energy flickered in the air. “You're coming too, right Bats?” Nervous voice wavering as he thought of all the possibilities.

“ _I'm about ten minutes out.”_

“Good. See you soon, Bats.” He heard a grunt on the other end as the call ended.

A powerful wave of energy struck from the hole and threw the three Speedsters backwards. Wally yelped as he hit the ground.

He pulled himself up, glancing at Flash and Kid Flash. They were okay. His eyes shot back to the hole as a figure stepped through. There was a rush of air from the hole that smelled vaguely familiar.

“Hello zere again, Wally.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I will end this soon.  
> I'm already contemplating the ending.  
> There might be one or two more chapters and then no more (until the side stories/sequel).
> 
> Anyways, sorry it took so long for an update. This is today's "24".


	38. A Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally reunites with one of his dimensional friends and makes a decision about what happens next.

Nightwing had no idea what he expected to see when he arrived on scene, but Wally throwing himself at some blue fuzzy…. elf (?) was something that never entered his mind.

“The fuck!?” Nightwing turned to hear Arsenal mutter beside Red Arrow, both looking just as stunned and confused as he felt.

“Kurt!” Wally said as he jumped on the elf, who in turned wrapped his arms around his “attacker”. The elf – Kurt chuckled and hugged Wally. “Eet haz been too long.”

“I, like, totally agree,” Wally pulled away from the elf, his voice in a more high pitch, feminine tone. Kurt groaned. “Not you too.” Wally snickered.

Nightwing could see the way the other heroes relaxed their stance a little. It would seem their visitor was a friend of Wally's. The did kind of make Nightwing and the two Roys feel a bit.. jealous. Nightwing more so than the Roys, but that's what happens when one has trauma from other dimensions and their alternate selves.

They all blinked one second and then the elf – Kurt. Kurt was standing their right in front of them. “Hello,” he said with a small wave. They visibly jumped back in surprise, muscles ready to fight. Wally zipped up to a stop beside the visitor.

“Show off,” Wally said with a pout. Kurt just laughed. “Maybe?” Wally gave him a pointed look and he raised his arms in surrender. “Well… just a little.”

“Your friend?” A familiar voice asked, startling everyone except Nightwing.

“Geez Bats! How many times are you going to do that?” Batman's lips twitched a bit in amusement as he teased, “As many times as I want.” Wally scowled at the dark knight.

“This is Nightcrawler,” Wally motioned towards his friend. “You can call me Kurt, if you like. Any friend of Wally's eez a friend of mine,” Kurt told them. “I'm a mutant,” he said at their curious looks, although they didn't seem stunned at his appearance. Kurt reasoned it was normal for them to see some unusual things if he thought back on the stories Wally told him.

“I met him in another dimension that I ended up. No Justice League there. None of us, actually, Wally explained. “I was so drained when I got there and things were so crazy that I ended up at the Mansion to recover.”

Wally stopped talking, frowning and looking at Kurt. “Why are you here,” he asked carefully with suspicion in his eyes.

“I – we were worried,” Kurt tells him. 'Sweet as that may be…. There's more,' Wally thinks to himself.

Kurt shifts nervously as he feels Wally's assessing gaze. “What happened?”

Kurt sighs, looking over at the listening heroes before returning back to Wally, his tail curling around one of Wally's wrists to soothe them both. “Zere's a problem,” Kurt admits. “SHIELD eez acting strange with your information.” Wally's eyes narrow and he runs anxious fingers over Kurt's tail.

“Zey're.. looking for more answers.. about you,” Kurt says slowly, cringing at the way Wally stiffens, eyes wide.

“I thought they were supposed to be keeping the rumors contained, not investigating,” Wally grits out, blood pressure rising.

“Wally, Wally calm down a little,” Kurt urges. “Ze Avengers are handling Fury.”

Wally pulls away from Kurt and the grasp of his tail to pace, furiously. “Um, Wally?” Flash steps forward a little. “You okay there?”

Wally doesn't appear to be paying attention. He just mutters about how much “SHIELD resembles Cadmus” and something about an “eye-patch”.

“WALLY!” Barry snaps out, unable to contain his curiosity and anger at being in the dark.

Batman, Nightwing, Arsenal, Red Arrow, and several other Leaguers cringe at the sudden outburst. The first four mentioned glaring at Flash as Wally stumbles and falls only to be caught by Kurt.

Wally looks at Flash, his eyes noticeably wide, even behind the cowl and his body curling away from Flash.

“Back off!” Kurt growls at the hero, body positioning itself to shield Wally from his possible aggressor. Kurt is one of the few who knows what Wally's been through and he's seen memories with _Flash_ that end up with Wally bloodied and in tears and there is no way that he's letting this version near Wally when he's so fragile.

Flash is flinches away from them and backs up, hands in the air helplessly. “Damn it, Barry,” Batman mutters as they all take collective steps back, all except for the two archers, who step forward slowly.

Wally had started panicking the instant he heard Flash yell his name. His body shook as his mind fought against wave after wave of frightening memories. He felt Kurt's furry arms around him and only relaxed a little when Flash and all of the heroes except for the Roys had taken a few steps back.

It was comforting to hear the way Kurt defended him. Kurt was always gentle, especially to him. When he'd first arrived in their dimension, Kurt had been there, talking to him, comforting him. It was one of the reasons Wally felt the fear leaving his body.

“I'm good, I'm okay now, Fuzzy,” he told Kurt, the nickname causing Kurt's lips to twitch in a smile. Kurt helped him up, eying the heroes carefully. “I'm good, guys,” Wally told the Roys, who'd stepped up, protective of him.

They nodded, murmuring that they would be on his side no matter what. Vaguely Wally wondered if they were imagining a thousand ways to kill the Other heroes who had hurt him. It would be so like them. Fluffy, sharp bastards.

Fully calmed down, he'd allowed the others to come closer again, but they seemed to keep themselves out of his personal space, which suited him just fine. He wasn't sure he could handle any displays of anger or violence directed towards him.

Some of the heroes talked to Kurt, while others studied the gaping hole causing wind tunnels around them. They speculated that it would only last another twenty minutes or so, but that didn't seem to hamper Kurt's spirits. Wally was feeling a rush of joy at seeing his friend.

That was was dampened by the growing anxiety he felt over SHIELD. What could he do? What was happening? 'Surely Fury wouldn't do anything to… No, he would be the kind of guy to explore all possibilities.'

Wally felt the burning need to confront the director and find out what was going on. If he happened to see the need to set the director straight, then he wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it. He'd long gotten over his fear over the spy.

Besides, he wouldn't mind seeing his friends there again and it would be a great place to heal (once he took care of SHIELD and the rumors).

“I'm going back with Kurt,” Wally blurts out. Everyone stills for a moment. It's comical how jaws drop and faces twist in confusion as they process it. Kurt, however, smiles happily like he just won the lottery. 'Damn, he was hoping this would happen,' Wally makes a mental note to hide his conditioner when he gets to the Mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding Kurt's accent - Please forgive how terrible I am with it. I suck with accents.  
> Regarding this chapter - Omg, this was such a hard chapter to write because I couldn't decide what was going to happen and that probably shows in my writing. I was just everywhere with it. Yikes.
> 
> Anyways, just one more chapter left, I'm thinking (not for sure yet), but yeah. Hope you enjoyed the guest appearance. Look forward to the ending (or not because I hate it when things end).


	39. "I'll Come Home Again"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go but Wally makes them a promise before he leaves.

Wally lets them bombard him with their loud voices, yelling about his decision and whatnot for about four minutes before he's finally had enough. The portal's not going to stay open forever. He could run over there, but he needs to ensure that he arrives exactly where he should and the only way that's going to happen is if he goes with Kurt.

“SHUT UP!” Wally finally bursts out in irritation. Everyone closes their mouths with an audible snap. He rubs his temples, headache growing. “God, you think you'd learn that quiet is good.”

Wally relaxes as he feels warm, fuzzy hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently. 'Mm… feels good,' Wally sighs, happily.

Wally shook his head. No, he needed to talk to them before they burst out with questions again.

“Wally,” Barry started, but Wally cut him off with a raised hand.

“No, I need you to listen. I need you all to just listen to me,” Wally hated the way it felt like he was begging. It reminded him of less warm times.

“I love you all and I love my home. After traveling for so long, facing terrible things that give me nightmares and make me afraid of the tiniest little things, I've finally come home. But I want you to understand that the things I saw – they haunt me like nothing before.”

Wally ran his eyes over the heroes, vaguely noting the wideness of Kurt's eyes.

“You've seen me… I know you won't hurt me but _God_ , sometimes I just can't remember that. Sometimes it's all too easy to remember the way a vibrating hand feels as it rips into my chest,” he looks at Flash who looks like he's about to have a heart attack, “or being betrayed and tortured by everyone who I thought were friends.”

Wally sheepishly clears his throat, keeping his gaze away from all the guilt that appears smeared over the heroes' faces.

“I know you aren't them. None of you did those things to me,” he forces himself to look up and meet their eyes to assure them that he knows and he doesn't blame them for any of it.

“I'm not saying that I'll never come back. I will. This is my home and all of you are my family,” Wally says softly. “But I need to go with him. There's some trouble in his dimension that I need to help figure out and I think I could recover faster there.” He takes a deep breath and admits, “It helped me before and everyone was so kind to me, I'm sure I can recover quickly.”

“If you'll forgive me…”

Wally kicked a rock over, fidgeting. He kept his gaze on the ground, suddenly a lot more shy than he thought he should be. 'Well, I didn't get my butt handed to me by lookalikes for quite some time…' Wally sighed.

“Wally?” He looked up to see Batman looking at him.  
“You don't have to worry. We understand,” he tells Wally, voice kind. Wally looks over at his uncle and Nightwing who nod in agreement.

“Kid, whatever you choose, we'll support you. That's what family is,” Flash smiles at him. A quick glance at Arsenal and Red Arrow showed him that they were smiling and nodding in agreement.

Wally flashed forward and glomped his uncle with a smile. “Thank you!”

Flash froze for ten long seconds when his nephew's arms curled around him before he finally hugged him back. It was a shaky hug. Wally's body trembled with fear, but it was his decision and he wouldn't let anything stop him, not even himself.

They broke apart, smiling at one another. Flash's smile was more brilliant than he'd seen since he'd arrived home. “Just take care of yourself, okay Wally?”

Wally nodded fervently, giving him another smile before he took off to hug the Roys and Nightwing. They murmured promises and made threats, but each offered their support and best wishes.

He let Bart throw himself at him and nearly stumbled with the sudden weight, but he hugged him all the same and promised that he'd come back once everything was taken care of.

As he turned back to Kurt, Batman stopped him. “If you ever need us…” Wally grinned and threw his arms around Batman, startling everyone except Kurt, who had seen his dimensional friend hug Wolverine.

Batman shuddered inside for a moment at the sudden hug before he hugged Wally tightly in return. “Be careful, okay Wally? If anything happens, we'll come for you,” he murmured so softly in Wally's ear that he almost missed it.

Wally nodded, stepping back before hesitating. “If you need me, Cisco will be watching.” At least, Wally didn't think Cisco would mind keeping an eye on his home and he had a sneaking suspicion that Cisco was watching them now. Anyone other than Cisco and he'd call them a stalker.

“Ready?” Kurt asked as he turned to the portal. Wally almost nodded before he remembered one thing and paused. “Hold on a moment,” Wally more asked than said to see if it was okay. Kurt nodded, after all they still had a few more minutes.

Wally turned to look at the heroes. “Tell the Rogues.. I promise I'll come back this time.” He remembered their darkened faces when he'd first asked about the original Kid Flash, their “Baby Flash”. He didn't want to see that face again. “Tell them.. I'll come back no matter what. I'll come home again,” he said, blushing a little at his own declaration.

“We will,” Nightwing promised him, already thinking about keeping an eye on the Rogues in Wally's place. He knew that his friend had always taken special note of them and treated them like family. He may have forgotten about them in his grief the first time Wally disappeared, but this time Wally was coming back and they'd all be there when he came back, hero or Rogue alike.

Wally nodded, hesitating a little. “Don't worry, Wally. You'll come back,” Kurt reminded him, soothingly. Seeing his friends and family nod their agreement was all it took and the worry over leaving them behind faded.

He stepped beside Kurt without a second glance back. Together they pressed forward, slipping into the portal. Wally could still feel their eyes on him as the energy and light circled them.

Closing his eyes against the force, he smiled. He'd be back. No doubts about that. But first he had things to take care of in Kurt's dimension with the Avengers and the X-Men. It was daunting, admittedly, but after having found his home and reuniting with everyone he loved, he felt like there was nothing he couldn't do.

 

_End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. This is the end!  
> I'm already working on one side story (I love the beginning, just so you know and I hope you will too!)  
> But yes, after 39 chapters "Comfort Me" is at its end. Thank you to all the readers who have stuck with me this far.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this is going. I just felt compelled to write after reading several other fan fictions. Not sure how long it will be but I have some scenes I want to add in, so we'll see.


End file.
